THE 


CHURCH  AS   IT  IS: 


FORLORN  HOPE  OF  SLAVERY. 


PARKER    PILLSBTJRY. 


SECOND   EDITION— REVISED   AND  IMPROVED. 


CONCORD,  N.  H.  : 

PRINTED    BY   THE    REPUBLICAN    PRESS   ASSOCIATION, 

1885. 


This  work  for  sale  by  Parker  Pillsbury,  Concord,  N.  H 
Single  copy,  25  cents.  5  copies,  $1.00. 

Also,  The  American  Churches  the  Bulwarks  of  America! 
Slavery,  by  Hon.  James  G.  Birney.  Price  15  cents ;  and 

Acts  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Apostles,  by  Parker  Pillsbury 
Price  $1.50. 


#&%&£ 


THE 


CHURCH  AS   IT  IS: 


FORLORN  HOPE  OF  SLAVERY. 


PARKER    PILLSBURY. 


SECOND  EDITION — REVISED  AND  IMPROVED. 


CONCORD,  N.  H.  : 

PRINTED   BY   THE   REPUBLICAN   PRESS  ASSOCIATION. 
1885. 


I  9- 
Bancroft  Library 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION. 


Since  the  first  edition  of  this  little  work  appeared,  almost  forty 
years  have  passed  away.  It  was  when  the  anti-slavery  conflict 
was  at  its  intensest  heat.  The  time  had  indeed  come,  as  had 
been  apostolically  foretold,  "  when  judgment  should  begin  at  the 
house  of  God."  And  many  of  the  fiercest  battles  were  almost 
literally  li  between  the  porch  and  the  altar." 

As  the  following  pages  will  most  abundantly  prove,  slavery 
had  been  driven  from  every  other  refuge,  and,  as  its  last,  its 
forlorn  hope,  it,  like  the  flying  Hebrew  escaping  for  his  life,  had 
"  laid  hold  on  the  horns  of  the  altar." 

This  is  the  third  of  the  former  anti-slavery  tracts  lately  reproduc- 
ed in  the  interest  of  true  and  reliable  history,  now  endangered  by 
the  strange  mendacity  or  ignorance  of  an  unscrupulous  clergy,  who 
insist  that  they  or  their  predecessors  were  the  main  instruments 
in  the  abolition  of  slavery, — some  of  them  going  so  far  as  to  de- 
clare that  Garrison  and  his  faithful  and  valiant  discipleship  ac- 
tually did  more  harm  than  good  to  the  sublime  achievement. 

The  first  of  the  three  works  here  named  was  published  first  in 
England, — its  author,  Hon.  James  G.  Birney,  about  the  year 
1840, — entitled  The  American  Churches  the  Bulwarks  of  Amer- 
ican Slavery.  This  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  direct 
testimony  ever  borne  in  that  form  against  the  church  and  minis- 
try on  the  subject  of  slavery  :  and  this  by  one  of  the  very  pillars,  a 
member  of  and  ruling  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  .denomination, 
and  who,  so  far  as  known,  never  forsook  that  form  of  faith  and 
doctrine. 

The  second  came  in  similar  form  three  years  later  in  a  pam- 
phlet of  seventy-five  pages,  entitled  The  Brotherhood  of  Thieves, 
or,  A  True  Picture  of  the  American  Church  and  Clergy,  by 


Stephen  S.  Foster.  Three  or  four  years  afterward  was  issued 
the  first  edition  of  the  work  now  reproduced — a  larger  as  well  as 
later  testimony,  and  whose  authority  was  never  questioned,  how- 
ever stunning  its  statements  and  revelations.  The  third  chapter 
seemed  at  the  time  to  silence  all  denials,  and  to  foreclose  all  de- 
fence of  those  charged  with  the  guilt  of  slave  breeding,  slave 
hunting,  and  slave  holding. 

That  there  were  honorable  exceptions  to  the  charges  was  not 
denied.  But  the  mighty  power,  the  ruling  influence,  of  church 
and  pulpit  were  proved  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  oppressor 
throughout  the  nation :  nay,  more,  to  be  almost  the  oppressor 
himself,  rather  than  his  forlorn  hope.  But  let  the  terrible  facts 
speak  for  themselves  ! 

Whoever  would  pursue  these  perhaps  not  agreeable  investi- 
gations farther  are  respectfully  commended  to  a  volume  of  more 
than  five  hundred  pages,  entitled  Acts  of  the  Anti-Slavery 
Apostles,  by  Parker  Pillsbury,  and  for  sale  by  him  at  one  dol- 
lar and  fifty  cents,  and  carefully  sent  by  mail  on  receipt  of  price. 

p.  P. 

Concord,  N.  H.,  Nov.,  1885. 


INTRODUCTION. 


No  apology  is  offered  for  the  following  work.  It  is  a  brief 
exhibition  of  the  American  Church  a*  it  is,  in  reference  to  the 
slave  system  of  the  United  States. 

That  slavery  finds  its  surest  and  sternest  defence  in  the  pre- 
vailing religion  of  the  country,  is  no  longer  questionable.  Let  it 
be  driven  from  the  Church,  with  the  burning  seal  of  its  reproba- 
tion and  execration  stamped  on  its  iron  brow,  and  its  fate  is  fixed 
forever.  Only  while  its  horrors  are  baptized  and  sanctified  in 
the  name  of  Christianity,  can  it  maintain  an  existence. 

The  Anti-Slavery  movement  has  unmasked  the  character  of 
the  American  Church.  Our  religion  has  been  found  at  war  with 
the  interests  of  humanity  aud  the  laws  of  God.  And  it  is  more 
than  time  the  world  was  awakened  to  its  unhallowed  influ- 
ence on  the  hopes  and  happiness  of  man,  while  it  makes  itself  the 
palladium  of  the  foulest  iniquity  ever  perpetrated  in  the  sight  of 
heaven. 

Excellent  works  have  already  been  written  and  published  on 
the  connection  of  the  American  Church  with  American  Slavery. 
Among  these,  "The  American  Church  the  Bulwark  of  American 
Slavery,"  by  James  G.  Birney ;  "The  Brotherhood  of  Thieves, 
or,  A  True  Picture  of  the  American  Church  and  Clergy,"  by 
Stephen  S.  Foster;  and  "  Slavery  and  the  Slaveholder's  Relig- 
ion," by  Samuel  Brooke,  are  the  most  valuable.  They  contain 
the  important  action  of  the  Church  on  the  subject,  down  to  the 
time  when  they  were  written,  and  have  had  the  singular  good 
fortune  never  to  be  questioned  in  their  statements  of  facts — and 
for  the  very  good  reason,  that  they  are,  beyond  all  question, 
singularly  true. 

A  new  work  is  now  demanded,  to  present  to  the  world  the 
more  recent  action  of  the  various  ecclesiastical  bodies  of  the 
country.  The  object  of  this  is,  mainly,  to  meet  that  demand. 

There  is  one  consideration  to  which  the  public  attention  ought 


to  be  specially  called.  Since,  by  the  introduction  of  steam  nav- 
igation, .the  Atlantic  has  been  narrowed  to  a  ferry,  and  a  voyage 
to  Britain  to  a  pleasant  summer's  jaunt,  the  clergy  of  this  coun- 
try have  been  unfortunately  visited  with  great  prostrations  of 
health.  A  voyage  to  sea  is  a  most  effectual  panacea,  and  is  fast 
coming  to  be  the  Universal  Restorative. 

But,  unfortunately,  the  public  sentiment  of  Britain  (as  of  all 
Christendom)  is  mightily  against  our  "peculiar  institution." 
Hence,  our  clerical  delegations  are  driven  to  the  unwilling  neces- 
sity of  calling  themselves  abolitionists,  in  order  to  pass  as  honest 
men.  A  man  stealer,  or  his  abettor,  there  (good  Christian  as  he 
is  here)  being  regarded  as  not  greatly  better  than  the  stealer  of 
other  and  less  valuable  goods.  The  consequence  is,  the  British 
Church  has  been  deplorably  deceived,  both  as  to  the  character 
of  American  Christianity  and  the  American  Clergy. 

Every  minister,  as  soon  as  he  treads  the  soil  of  England,  or 
Scotland,  proclainis  himself  an  abolitionist.  Whether  it  be  so, 
it  is  the  object  of  this  work  to  show.  It  may  not  be  improper, 
therefore,  to  announce  that  it  is  written  particularly  for  circula- 
tion in  Great  Britain.  If  the  facts  it  unfolds  do  not  startle  the 
Churches  of  that  Empire  into  the  duty  of  immediately  severing 
all  the  ties  that  bind  them  to  the  ecclesiastical  bodies  of  these 
United  States,  then  surely  is  the  vitality  of  their  vision  deplora- 
bly to  be  doubted. 

It  will  be  the  object  of  this  publication  to  exhibit — 

I.  The  Church — AS  IT  WAS. 
II.  The  Church — AS  IT  is,  and 
III.  The  Church  as,  by  its  own  admissions  and  assumptions,  IT 

MIGHT  BE. 

Truth  only  is  sought.  As  a  literary  production,  the  work  will 
undoubtedly  be  beneath  criticism  ;  but  in  the  exhibition  of  facts, 
it  is  eminently  above,  and  challenges  all  criticism. 


THE 


FORLORN    HOPE    OF    SLAVERY, 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE  CHURCH—AS  IT  WAS. 

A  peculiarity  in  this  work  throughout  will  be,  that  those  whose 
character  is  under  examination  will  speak  for  themselves — by 
their  own  words  they  will  be  justified  or  condemned,  and  not  by 
the  words  of  another,  be  that  other  friend  or  foe. 

The  church  of  this  country  is  divided  into  many  sects,  but  the 
important  ones  are  the  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists,  the 
Baptists,  Methodists  and  Episcopalians,  the  Unitarians,  Univer- 
salists,  and  Quakers.  Many  of  these  have  registered  a  testi- 
mony on  the  subject  of  Slavery  in  time  past,  and  have  varied  it 
to  meet  such  exigencies  as  they  have  been  called  to  encounter. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  has  been 
the  most  powerful  ecclesiastical  body  in  the  land.  It  may  be  so 
still. 

About  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  there  was  very  much  discussion  on  the  subject  of 
slavery ;  and  it  was  generally  believed,  at  least  in  half  of  the 
States,  that  the  evil  would  not  be  of  long  duration.  The  discus- 
sion reached  the  church,  and  in  1787  the  Synods  of  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  came  to  the  following  judgment : 


8 

"That  we  do  highly  approve  the  general  principles  in  favor  of 
universal  liberty  that  prevail  in  America,  and  the  interest  which 
many  of  the  States  have  taken  in  promoting  the  abolition  of 
slavery.  They  earnestly  recommend  it  to  all  the  members  in 
their  communion,  to  give  those  persons  who  are  at  present  held 
in  servitude,  such  good  education  as  to  prepare  them  for  the  bet- 
ter enjoyment  of  freedom.  *  *  *  *  *  * 
And  finally,  they  recommend  to  all  their  people,  to  use  the  most 
prudent  measures  consistent  with  the  interest  and  state  of  civil 
society  in  the  countries  where  they  live,  to  procure,  eventually, 
the  final  abolition  of  slavery  in  America." 

This  judgment  was,  in  1793,  republished  as  the  decision  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  second  annunciation  of  the  sentiments  of  the  General  As- 
sembly was  made  in  1794.  Their  sentiment  at  that  time  was  ap- 
pended to  a  note  to  the  one  hundred  and  forty-second  question 
of  the  larger  Catechism,  on  the  eighth  commandment,  in  these 
words  : 

"  1  Tim.  1  :  10.  The  law  is  made  for  man-stealers.  This 
crime  among  the  Jews  exposed  the  perpetrators  of  it  to  capital 
punishment:  Exodus  21  :  16  ;  and  the  apostle  here  classes  them 
with  sinners  of  the  first  rank.  The  word  he  uses,  in  its  original 
import,  comprehends  all  who  are  concerned  in  bringing  any  of 
the  human  race  into  slavery,  or  in  retaining  them  in  it  Homi- 
inum  fures,  qui  servos  vel  liberos  abducunt,  retinent,  vendunt,  vel 
emunt.  Stealers  of  men  are  all  those  who  bring  offslaves  or  free- 
men, and  keep,  sell,  or  buy  them.  To  steal  a  freeman,  says  Gro- 
tius,  is  the  highest  kind  of  theft.  In  other  instances,  we  only 
steal  human  property,  but  when  we  steal  or  retain  men  in  slavery, 
we  seize  those  who,  in  common  with  ourselves,  are  constituted, 
by  the  original  grant,  lords  of  the  earth.  Gen.  1  :  28.  Vide  poli 
synopsin  in  loc." 

Similar  expressions  were  given  from  time  to  time,  as  the  sub- 
ject was  urged  upon  the  consideration  of  the  body — but  with 
what  effect  may  be  seen  by  the  declaration  of  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  clergymen  belonging  to  the  Assembly.  He  affirms 
that  under  these  very  decisions  kk  the  whole  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  have  been  sound  asleep  upon  '  the  highest  kind  of  theft ' 
— and  while  the  '  sinners  of  the  first  rank  '  have  multiplied  and 
extended  their  man  stealing  on  every  side.  Presbyteries,  Syn- 
ods, and  General  Assemblies  have  been  '  silent  as  death,  and 
still  as  midnight ! '  except  when,  to  gratify  the  Christians  !  who 
wish  to  transport  to  their  own  country  the '  feeble,  diseased,  aged, 


or  worn-out  slaves,'  they  have  adopted  some  two  tongued  minute, 
respecting  the  Colonization  Society." 

And  yet,  in  1818,  the  same  body  adopted  another  declaration 
of  sentiment,  more  inexplicable  than  any  which  had  preceded  it. 
The  character  of  the  whole  document  may  be  clearly  seen  in  the 
following  lengthy  extract : 

"A    FULL    EXPRESSION    OF    THE    ASSEMBLY'S    VIEWS    OF   SLAVERY 
IN    1818. 

"The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  having 
taken  into  consideration  the  subject  of  slavery,  think  proper  to 
make  known  their  sentiments  upon  it. 

"  We  consider  the  voluntary  enslaving  of  one  part  of  the  hu- 
man race  by  another,  as  a  gross  violation  of  the  most  precious  and 
sacred  rights  of  human  nature;  as  utterly  inconsistent  with  the 
law  of  God,  which  requires  us  to  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves; 
and  as  totally  irreconcilable  with  the  spirit  and  principles  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  which  enjoins  '  that  all  things  whatsoever 
ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them.'  Slav- 
ery creates  a  paradox  in  the  moral  system — it  exhibits  rational, 
accountable,  and  immortal  beings  in  such  circumstances  as  scarce- 
ly to  leave  them  the  power  of  moral  action.  It  exhibits  them  as 
dependent  on  the  will  of  others,  whether  they  shall  receive  relig- 
ious instruction  ;  whether  they  shall  know  and  worship  the  true 
God;  whether  they  shall  enjoy  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel; 
whether  they  shall  perform  the  duties  and  cherish  the  endear- 
ments of  husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  neighbors 
and  friends  ;  whether  they  shall  preserve  their  chastity  and  pu- 
rity, or  regard  the  dictates  of  justice  and  humanity.  Such  are 
some  of  the  consequences  of  slavery  ;  consequences  not  imaginary, 
but  which  connect  themselves  with  its  very  existence.  The  evils 
to  which  the  slave  is  always  exposed  often  take  place  in  their  very 
worst  degree  and  form  ;  and  where  all  of  them  do  not  take  place, 
still  the  slave  is  deprived  of  his  natural  rights,  degraded  as  a 
human  being,  and  exposed  to  the  danger  of  passing  into  the  hands 
of  a  master  who  may  inflict  upon  him  all  the  hardships  and  in- 
juries which  inhumanity  and  avarice  may  suggest. 

"From  this  view  of  the  consequences  resulting  from  the  prac- 
tice into  which  Christian  people  have  most  inconsistently  fallen, 
of  enslaving  a  portion  of  their  brethren  of  mankind,  it  is  mani- 
festly the  duty  of  all  Christians,  when  the  inconsistency  of  slavery 
with  the  dictates  of  humanity  and  religion  has  been  demonstrat- 
ed, and  is  generally  seen  and  acknowledged,  to  use  their  honest, 
earnest,  and  unwearied  endeavors,  as  speedily  as  possible  to  efface 
this  blot  on  our  holy  religion,  and  to  obtain  the  complete  aboli- 
tion of  slavery  throughout  the  world.  We  earnestly  exhort 


10 

them  "  (the  slave-holders)  "  to  continue  and  to  increase  their  ex- 
ertions to  effect  a  total  abolition  of  slavery." 

Congregational  Doctors  of  Divinity  : — "  Slaveholding  is,  in 
every  instance,  wrong,  unrighteous,  and  oppressive  ;  a  very  great 
and  crying  sin,  there  being  nothing  equal  to  it  on  the  face  of  the 
earth." — [Rev.  Samuel  Hopkins,  D.  D.,  of  the  United  States, 
1776.] 

"  To  hold  any  man  in  slavery,  is  to  be  every  day  guilty  of  rob- 
bing him  of  his  liberty,  or  of  man-stealing.  Fifty  years  from  this 
time,  1791,  it  will  be  as  shameful  for  a  man  to  hold  a  slave,  as  to 
be  guilty  of  common  theft  or  robbery." — [Rev.  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards, D.  D.j  Drs.  Hopkins  and  Edwards  were  the  directing  and 
controlling  spirits  in  the  church  of  their  time. 

Such  was  the  position  of  this  great  body  and  their  Congrega- 
tional allies,  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  as  expressed  from  time  to 
time,  before  the  Anti-Slavery  enterprise  had  come  into  being. 

Two  things  are  worthy  of  notice.  First,  the  fact  that  all  this 
discussion  and  action  took  place  in  connection  with  similar  dis- 
cussion out  of  the  church ;  being  little  more  than  an  echo  of  the 
popular  voice.  And  secondly,  it  was,  after  all,  but  expression 
in  words  ;  not  the  least  action  ever  accompanying  the  expres- 
sion during  that  whole  quarter  of  a  century. 

THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  John  Wesley,  the  Father  and 
Founder  of  Methodism,  bore  the  following  testimony  against 
the  slave  system : 

"  What  I  have  said  to  slave-traders  equally  concerns  all  slave- 
holders of  whatever  rank  and  degree  ;  seeing  men-buyers  are  ex- 
actly on  a  level  with  men-steaiers  !  Indeed,  you  say,  '  I  pay  hon- 
estlv  for  my  goods  ;  and  I  am  not  concerned  to  know  how  they 
are' come  by.'  Nay,  but  you  are:  you  are  deeply  concerned  to 
know  they  are  honestly  come  by,  otherwise  you  are  partaker  with 
a  thief,  and  are  not  a  jot  houester  than  he.  But  you  know  they 
are  not  honestly  come  by  :  you  know  they  are  procured  by  means 
nothing  near  so  innocent  as  picking  pockets,  house-breaking,  or  rob- 
bery upon  the  highway.  You  know  they  are  procured  by  a  delib- 
erate species  of  more  complicated  villany,  of  fraud,  robbery,  and 
murder,  than  was  ever  practiced  by  Mohammedans  or  Pagans  ; 
in  particular,  by  murders  of  all  kinds,  by  the  blood_  of  the  inno- 
cent poured  upon  the  ground  like  water.  Now  it  is  your  money 


11 

that  pays  the  African  butcher.  You,  therefore,  are  principally 
guilty  of  all  these  frauds,  robberies,  and  murders.  You  are  the 
spring  that  puts  all  the  rest  in  motion.  They  would  not  stir  a 
step  without  you:  therefore  the  blood  of  all  these  wretches  who 
die  before  their  time  lies  upon  your  head.  'The  blood  of  thy 
brother  crieth  against  thee  from  the  earth.'  O,  whatever  it  costs, 
put  a  stop  to  its  cry  before  it  be  too  late  ;  instantly,  at  any  price, 
were  it  the  half  of  your  goods,  deliver  thyself  from  blood-guilti- 
ness !  Thy  hands,  thy  bed,  thy  furniture,  thy  house,  and  thy  lands, 
at  present  are  stained  with  blood.  Surely  it  is  enough  ;  accumu- 
late no  more  guilt;  spill  no  more  the  blood  of  the  innocent.  Do 
not  hire  another  to  shed  blood  ;  do  not  pay  him  for  doing  it. 
Whether  you  are  a  Christian  or  not,  show  yourself  a  man  !  Be 
not  more  savage  than  a  lion  or  a  bear." 

Expressions  of  equal  abhorrence  from  distinguished  Metho- 
dists of  that  period,  might  be  added  to  almost  any  extent.  The 
following,  from  the  Methodist  Book  of  Doctrines  and  Discipline, 
will  be  sufficient,  as  it  was  the  sentiment  of  the  whole  denomina- 
tion. The  Preface  to  the  work,  signed  by  the  six  Bishops  of  the 
church  in  the  United  States,  gives  this  injunction : 

"  We  wish  to  see  this  little  work  in  the  house  of  every  Metho- 
dist. Far  from  wishing  you  to  be  ignorant  of  any  of  our  doc- 
trines, or  any  part  of  our  discipline,  we  desire  you  to  read,  mark, 
learn,  and  inwardly  digest  the  whole.  You  ought,  next  to  the 
word  of  God,  to  procure  the  articles  and  canons  of  the  church  to 
which  you  belong." 

The  directions  relative  to  slavery,  in  part,  are  these  ;  and  they 
have  remained  nearly  the  same  for  the  last  half  century : 

"  There  is  only  one  condition  previously  required  of  those  who 
desire  admission  into  these  societies — a  desire  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  and  to  be  saved  from  their  sins.  But  wherever 
this  is  really  fixed  in  the  soul,  it  will  be  shown  by  its  fruits.  It 
is,  therefore,  expected  of  all  who  continue  therein,  that  they 
should  continue  to  evidence  their  desire  of  salvation,  by  doing  no 
harm,  by  avoiding  evil  of  every  kind,  especially  that  which  is 
most  generally  practised,  such  as  the  buying  and  selling  of  men, 
women,  and  children  with  an  intention  to  enslave  them,"  &c. 

"  Or  SLAVERY,— Question. — What  shall  be  done  for  the  extir- 
pation of  the  evil  of  slavery  ? 

"Answer  1. — We  declare  that  we  are  as  much  as  ever  convinced 


12 

of  the  great  evil  of  slavery  ;  therefore  no  slaveholder  shall  be  eli- 
gible to  any  official  station  in  our  Church,  hereafter,  where  the 
laws  of  the  State  in  which  he  lives  will  admit  of  emancipation, 
and  permit  the  liberated  slave  to  enjoy  freedom. 

"Ansvier  2. — When  any  traveling  preacher  becomes  an  owner 
of  a  slave  or  slaves,  by  any  means,  he  shall  forfeit  his  ministerial 
character  in  our  church,  unless  he  execute,  if  it  be  practicable,  a 
legal  emancipation  of  such  slaves,  conformably  to  the  laws  of  the 
State  in  which  he  lives." 

The  course  of  the  church  with  those  who  "  buy,  sell,  or  hold 
slaves,"  is  explicitly  given  on  the  eighty-third  page  of  the  Disci- 
pline, New  York  edition,  1840. 

"  If  there  be  any  among  us  who  observe  not  these  rules,  who 
habitually  break  any  of  them,  let  it  be  known  unto  them  who 
watch  over  that  soul,  as  they  who  must  give  an  account.  We 
will  admonish  him  of  the  error  of  his  ways.  We  will  bear  with 
him  for  a  season.  But  if  then  he  repent  not,  he  hath  no  more 
place  among  us." 

Of  the  Friends  or  Quakers  it  may  be  said,  too,  that  they  once 
bore  a  solemn  witness  against  the  enslavement  of  human  beings. 
In  1763  they  renewed  their  testimony  in  these  words : 

"  We  renew  our  exhortation,  that  Friends  every  where  be  es- 
pecially careful  to  keep  their  hands  clear  of  giving  encourage- 
ment in  any  shape  to  the  slave-trade;  it  being  evidently  destruc- 
tive of  the  natural  rights  of  mankind,  who  are  all  ransomed  by 
one  Saviour,  and  visited  by  one  divine  light,  in  order  te>  salva- 
tion ;  a  traffic  calculated  to  enrich  and  aggrandize  some  upon  the 
miseries  of  others  ;  in  its  nature  abhorrent  to  every  just  and  ten- 
der sentiment,  and  contrary  to  the  whole  tenor  of  the  gospel." 
— Thomas  Clarksori's  Portraiture  of  Quakerism. 

Such  are  but  specimens  of  the  action  of  the  American  church 
on  the  subject  of  slavery  within  the  last  half  century.  None  of 
the  sects  were  indifferent.  These  quotations  are  sufficient  to 
determine  the  plea  so  often  set  up,  thut  she  needs  light  on  the 
subject,  to  be  utterly  groundless.  These  were  the  testimonies 
of  the  church.  Her  action  was  of  a  different  character.  It  was 
the  extremest  inaction  ;  proving  that  all  her  loud  protestations 
and  solemn  threatenings  were  most  profoundly  insincere. 


13 


CHAPTER   II. 


THE  CHURCH— AS  IT  IS. 

WERE  this  book  intended  only  for  American  circulation,  it 
might  not  be  necessary  to  allude  to  the  religion  of  the  South,  in 
distinction  from  that  of  the  churches  of  the  Northern  or  free 
States.  It  may  not  be  improper,  however,  to  exhibit  some  of 
the  declarations  of  the  Southern  ecclesiastical  bodies,  and  also  of 
distinguished  Clergymen,  Doctors  of  Divinity,  and  others,  on  the 
subject  of  American  slavery. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  all  the  witnesses  whose  testi- 
mony is  produced  in  this  work  are  of  the  most  competent  char- 
acter, being  the  largest  ecclesiastical  associations,  and  most  em- 
inent Divines  to  be  found  in  this  or  any  other  country. 

The  following  are  expressions  of  the  church  in  some  of  the 
slave-holding  states : 

HARMONY   PRESBYTERY,  OF    SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

"Whereas,  sundry  persons  in  Scotland  and  England,  and  oth- 
ers in  the  north,  east,  and  west  of  our  country,  have  denounced 
slavery  as  obnoxious  to  the  laws  of  God,  some  of  whom  have  pre- 
sented before  the  General  Assembly  of  our  church,  and  the  Con- 
gress of  the  nation,  memorials  and  petitions  with  the  avowed  ob- 
ject of  bringing  into  disgrace  slave-holders,  and  abolishing  the 
relation  of  master  and  slave:  And  whereas,  from  the  said  pro- 
ceedings, and  the  statements,  reasonings,  and  circumstances  con- 
nected therewith,  it  is  most  manifest  that  those  persons  '  know 
not  what  they  say,  nor  whereof  they  affirm  ;  '  and  with  this 
ignorance  discover  a  spirit  of  self-righteousness  and  exclusive 
sanctity,"  &c.,  therefore, 

1.  Resolved,  "That  as  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  is  not  of  this 
world,  his  church  as  such  has  no  right  to  abolish,  alter,  or  affect 
any  institution  or  ordinance  of  men,  political  or  civil,  &c." 

2.  Resolved,  "  That  slavery  has  existed  from  the  days  of  those 
good  old  slave-holders  and  patriarchs,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Ja- 
cob (who  are  now  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven),  to  the  time  when 


14 

the  apostle  Paul  sent  a  runaway  home  to  his  master  Philemon, 
and  wrote  a  Christian  and  fraternal  letter  to  this  slave-holder, 
which  we  find  still  stands  in  the  canon  of  the  Scriptures — and  that 
slavery  has  existed  ever  since  the  days  of  the  apostle,  and  does 
now  exist." 

The  REV.  WILLIAM  S.  PLUMMER,  D.  D.,  of  Richmond,  Va., 
high  in  the  Presbyterian  church : 

"  I  have  carefully  watched  this  matter  from  its  earliest  exist- 
ence, and  everything  I  have  seen  or  heard  of  its  character,  both 
from  its  patrons  and  its  enemies,  has  confirmed  me  beyond  re- 
pentence  in  the  belief  that,  let  the  character  of  Abolitionists  be 
what  it  may  in  the  sight  of  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  this  is  the 
most  meddlesome,  impudent,  reckless,  fierce,  and  wicked  excite- 
ment I  ever  saw. 

"  If  Abolitionists  will  set  the  country  in  a  blaze,  it  is  but  fair 
that  they  should  receive  the  first  warming  at  the  fire. 

"Abolitionists  are  like  Infidels,  wholly  unaddicted  to  martyr- 
dom for  opinion's  sake.  Let  them  understand  that  they  will  be 
caught  [lynched]  if  they  come  among  us,  and  they  will  take  good 
heed  to  keep  out  of  our  way.  There  is  not  one  man  among  them 
who  has  any  more  idea  of  shedding  his  blood  in  this  cause,  than 
he  has  of  making  war  on  the  Grand  Turk." 

REV.  ROBERT  N.  ANDERSON,  of  Virginia : 

"  To  the  Sessions  of  the  Presbyterian  Congregations  within  the 
bounds  of  the  West  Hanover  Presbytery  : — 

"At  the  approaching  stated  meeting  of  our  Presbytery,  I  de- 
sign to  offer  a  preamble  and  string  of  resolutions  on  the  subject  of 
the  treasonable  and  abominably  wicked  interference  of  the  North- 
ern and  Eastern  fanatics,  with  our  political  and  civil  rights,  our 
property,  and  our  domestic  concerns.  You  are  aware  that  our 
clergy,  whether  with  or  without  reason,  are  more  suspected  by 
the  public  than  the  clergy  of  other  denominations.  Now,  dear 
Christian  brethren,  I  humbly  express  it  as  my  earnest  wish,  that 
you  quit  yourselves  like  men.  If  there  be  any  stray  goat  of  a 
minister  among  you,  tainted  with  the  blood-hound  principles  of 
abolitionism,  let  him  be  ferreted  out,  silenced,  excommunicated, 
and  left  to  the  public  to  dispose  of  him  in  other  respects. 
"  Your  affectionate  brother  in  the  Lord, 

"  EGBERT  N.  ANDERSON." 

Some  years  ago,  the  Reverend  Bishop  Meade,  an  Episcopal 


15 

clergyman  of  Virginia,  published  a  book  of  sermons  and  tracts 
for  masters  and  slaves.  It  was  printed  at  Winchester,  Va., by 
John  Hicskell. 

In  the  preface  to  the  work  the  Bishop  remarks  : 

"  The  editor  of  this  volume  offers  it  to  all  masters  and  mistress- 
es in  our  Southern  states,  with  the  anxious  wish  and  devout 
prayer  that  it  may  prove  a  blessing  te  themselves  and  their 
households." 

In  this  book  are  two  sermons  from  this  text,  to  be  read  by 
masters  to  their  slaves  ;  ' '  Knowing  that  whatsoever  good  thing 
any  man  doeth,  the  same  shall  he  receive  of  the  Lord,  whether 
he  be  bond  or  free." 

As  these  sermons  are  so  perfect  a  delineation  of  slaveholding 
godliness,  some  extracts  will  not  here  be  out  of  place.  They  are 
addressed  to  a  congregation  of  slaves. 

After  showing  the  slaves  that  they  are  all  in  the  condition 
where  God  would  have  them,  and  that  they  were  made  for  the 
use  and  service  of  their  masters,  he  proceeds  : 

'«  When  people  die,  we  know  of  but  two  places  they  have 
to  go  to,  and  one  is  heaven,  the  other  hell.  Now  heaven  is 
a  place  of  great  happiness,  which  God  has  prepared  for  all  that 
are  good,  where  they  shall  enjoy  rest  from  their  labors.  And 
hell  is  a  place  of  great  torment  and  misery,  where  all  wicked  peo- 
ple will  be  shut  up  with  the  devil  and  other  evil  spirits,  and  be 
punished  forever,  because  they  will  not  serve  God.  If,  therefore, 
we  would  have  our  souls  saved  by  Christ,  if  we  would  escape  hell 
and  obtain  heaven,  we  must  set  about  doing  what  he  requires  of 
us,  that  is,  to  serve  God.  Your  own  poor  circumstances  in  this 
life  ought  to  put  you  particularly  upon  this,  and  taking  care  of 
your  souls.  *  *  *  Almighty  God  hath  been  pleased  to  make 
you  slaves  here,  and  to  give  you  nothing  but  labor  and  poverty  in 
this  world,  which  you  are  obliged  to  submit  to,  as  it  is  his  will 
that  it  should  be  so.  And  think  within  yourselves  what  a  terri- 
ble thing  it  would  be,  after  all  your  labors  and  sufferings  in  this 
life,  to  be  turned  into  hell  in  the  next  life  :  and  after  wearing  out 
your  bodies  in  service  hero,  to  go  into  a  far  worse  slavery  when 
this  is  over,  and  your  poor  souls  be  delivered  over  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  devil,  to  become  his  slaves  forever  in  hell,  without 
any  hope  of  ever  getting  free  from  it.  If,  therefore,  you  would 
be  God's  freemen  in  heaven,  you  must  strive  to  be  good  and  serve 
him  here  on  earth.  Your  bodies,  you  know,  are  not  your  own  : 
they  are  at  the  disposal  of  those  you  belong  to  ;  but  your  precious 
souls  are  still  your  own,  which  nothing  can  take  from  you,  if  it 


16 

be  not  your  own  fault.  Consider  well,  then,  that  if  you  lose  your 
souls  by  leading  idle,  wicked  lives  here,  you  have  got  nothing  by 
it  in  this  world,  and  you  have  lost  your  all  in  the  next.  For  your 
idleness  and  wickedness  are  generally  found  out,  and  your  bodies 
suffer  for  it  here;  and,  what  is  far  worse,  if  you  do  not  repent 
and  amend,  your  unhappy  souls  will  suffer  for  it  hereafter. 

"  Having  thus  shown  you  the  chief  duties  you  owe  to  your 
great  Master  in  heaven,  I  now  come  to  lay  before  you  the  duties 
you  owe  to  your  masters  and  mistresses  here  upon  earth.  And 
for  this  you  have  one  general  rule  that  you  ought  always  to  carry 
in  your  minds,  and  that  is,  to  do  all  service  for  them,  as  if  you 
did  it  for  God  himself .  Poor  creatures  !  you  little  consider  when 
you  are  idle  and  neglectful  of  your  master's  business,  when  you 
steal  and  waste,  and  hurt  any  of  their  substance,  when  you  are 
saucy  and  impudent,  when  you  are  telling  them  lies  and  deceiv- 
ing them,  or  when  you  prove  stubborn  and  sullen,  and  will  not 
do  the  work  you  are  set  about  without  stripes  and  vexation  ;  you 
do  not  consider,  I  say,  that  what  faults  you  are  guilty  of  towards 
your  masters  and  mistresses,  are  faults  done  against  G-od  him- 
self who  hath  set  your  masters  and  mistresses  over  you  in  his 
own  stead,  and  expects  that  you  will  do  for  them  just  as  you 
would  do  for  him.  And  pray  do  not  think  that  I  want  to  deceive 
you,  when  I  tell  you  that  your  masters  and  mistresses  are  God's 
overseers ;  and  that  if  you  are  faulty  towards  them,  God  himself 
will  punish  you  severely  for  it  in  the  next  world,  unless  you  re- 
pent of  it,  and  strive  to  make  amends  by  your  faithfulness  and  dil- 
igence for  the  time  to  come,  for  God  himself  hath  declared  the 
same. 

"And  in  the  first  place,  you  are  to  be  obedient  and  subject  to 
your  masters  in  all  things.  *  *  And  Christian  ministers  are 
commanded  to  '  exhort  servants  to  be  obedient  unto  their  own 
masters,  and  to  please  them  well  in  all  things,  not  answering 
them  again,  or  gainsaying.'  *  *  *  You  are  to  be  faithful  and 
honest  to  your  masters  and  mistresses,  not  purloining  or  wasting 
their  goods  or  substance,  but  showing  all  good  fidelity  in  all 
things.  *  *  Do  not  your  masters,  under  God,  provide  for  you  ? 
And  how  shall  they  be  able  to  do  this,  to  feed  and  to  clothe  you, 
unless  you  take  honest  care  of  every  thing  that  belongs  to  them  ? 
Kemember  that  God  requires  this  of  you,  and  if  you  are  not  afraid 
of  suffering  for  it  here,  you  cannot  escape  the  vengeance  of  Al- 
mighty God,  who  will  judge  between  you  and  your  masters,  and 
make  you  pay  severely,  in  the  next  world,  for  all  the  injustice 
you  do  them  here.  And  though  you  could  manage  so  cunningly 
as  to  escape  the  eyes  and  hands  of  man,  yet  think  what  a  dread- 
ful thing  it  is  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God,  who  is  able 
to  cast  both  soul  and  body  into  hell  1"  *  *  * 


17 

And  again,  on  page  116  : 

"  'All  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you, 
do  ye  even  so  unto  them  ;'  that  is,  do  by  all  mankind  just  as  you 
would  desire  they  should  do  by  yeu,  if  you  were  in  their  place  and 
they  in  yours. 

"  Now,  to  suit  this  rule  to  your  particular  circumstances  ;  sup- 
pose you  were  masters  and  mistresses  and  had  servants  under  you, 
would  you  not  desire  that  your  servants  should  do  their  business 
faithfully  and  honestly,  as  well  when  your  back  was  turned  as 
while  you  were  looking  over  them  ?  Would  you  not  expect  that 
they  should  take  notice  of  what  you  said  to  them  ?  That  they 
should  behave  themselves  with  respect  towards  you  and  yours,  and 
be  as  careful  of  everything  belonging  to  you  as  you  would  be  your- 
selves ?  You  are  servants  ;  do,  therefore,  as  you  would  wish  to  be 
done  by,  and  you  will  be  both  good  servants  to  your  masters,  and 
good  servants  to  God,  who  requires  this  of  you,  and  will  reward 
you  well  for  it,  if  you  do  it  for  the  sake  of  conscience,  in  obedience 
to  his  commands.  *  *  *  Take  care  that  you  do  not  fret,  or 
murmur,  or  grumble  at  your  condition  ;  for  this  will  not  only 
make  your  life  uneasy,  but  will  greatly  oifend  Almighty  God. 
Consider  that  it  is  not  yourselves,  it  is  not  the  people  you  belong 
to,  it  is  not  the  men  that  have  brought  you  to  it,  but  it  is  the  will 
of  God  who  hath  by  his  providence  made  you  servants,  because, 
no  doubt  he  knew  that  condition  would  be  best  for  you  in  this 
world,  and  help  you  the  better  towards  heaven,  if  you  would  but 
do  your  duty  in  it.  So  that  any  discontent  at  your  not  being 
free,  or  rich,  or  great  as  you  see  some  others,  is  quarrelling  with 
your  heavenly  Master,  and  finding  fault  with  God  himself.  *  * 
*  *  *  There  is  only  one  circumstance  which  may  appear 
grievous,  that  I  shall  now  take  notice  of,  and  that  is  CORREC- 
TION. 

"Now,  when  correction  is  given  you,  you  either  deserve  it,  or 
you  do  not  deserve  it.  But  whether  you  really  deserve  it  or  not, 
it  is  your  duty,  and  Almighty  God  requires  that  you  bear  it 
patiently.  You  may,  perhaps,  think  that  this  is  hard  doctrine, 
but  if  you  consider  it  right,  you  must  needs  think  otherwise  of  it. 
Suppose,  then,  that  you  deserve  correction,  you  cannot  but  say 
that  it  is  just  and  right  you  should  meet  with  it.  Suppose  you  do 
not,  or  at  least  you  do  not  deserve  so  much  or  so  severe  a  correc- 
tion for  the  fault  you  have  committed,  you  perhaps  have  escaped 
a  great  many  more,  and  are  at  least  paid  for  all.  Or  suppose  you 
are  quite  innocent  of  what  is  laid  to  your  charge,  and  suffer 
wrongfully  in  that  particular  thing,  is  it  not  possible  you  may 
have  done  some  other  bad  thing  which  was  never  discovered,  and 
that  Almighty  God,  who  saw  you  doing  it,  would  not  let  you  es- 
cape without  punishment  one  time  or  another  ?  And  ought  you 


18 

not  in  such  a  case  to  give  glory  to  Him,  and  be  thankful  that  he 
would  rather  punish  you  in  this  life  for  your  wickedness,  than 
destroy  your  souls  for  it  in  the  next  life?  But  suppose  that  even 
this  was  not  the  case  (a  case  hardly  to  be  imagined),  and  that  you 
have  by  no  means,  known  or  unknown,  deserved  the  correction 
you  suffered,  there  is  this  great  comfort  in  it,  that  if  you  bear  it 
patiently,  and  leave  your  cause  in  the  hands  of  God,  he  will  re- 
ward you  for  it  in  heaven,  and  the  punishment  you  suffer  un- 
justly here  shall  turn  to  your  exceeding  great  glory  hereafter." 

If  any  doubt  the  genuineness  of  these  extracts,  let  them  be 
compared  with  the  following  from  another  advocate  of  slavery, 
whose  praise  is  in  the  churches  of  South  and  North. 

The  Rev.  J.  C.  Postell,  in  July,  1836,  delivered  a  public  ad- 
dress at  Orangeburg,  South  Carolina,  in  which  he  maintains,  "  1. 
That  slavery  is  a  judicial  visitation.  2.  That  it  is  not  a  moral 
evil.  3.  That  it  is  supported  by  the  Bible."  He  thus  argues  his 
second  point : 

"  It  is  not  a  moral  evil.  The  fact  that  slavery  is  of  Divine  ap- 
pointment, would  be  proof  enough  with  the  Christian  that  it 
could  not  be  a  moral  evil.  But  when  we  view  the  hordes  of  sav- 
age marauders  and  human  cannibals  enslaved  to  lust  and  passion 
and  abandoned  to  idolatry  and  ignorance,  to  revolutionize  them 
from  such  a  state,  and  enslave  them  where  they  may  have  the 
gospel  and  the  privileges  of  Christians,  so  far  from  being  a  moral 
evil,  it  is  a  merciful  visitation.  If  slavery  was  either  the  inven- 
tion of  man  or  a  moral  evil,  it  is  logical  to  conclude,  the  power  to 
create  has  the  power  to  destroy.  Why,  then,  has  it  existed  ? 
And  why  does  it  now  exist  amidst  all  the  power  of  legislation  in 
State  and  church,  and  the  clamor  of  abolitionists?  ' It  is  the 
Lord's  DOINGS,  AND  MARVELLOUS  IN  OUR  EYES  :  '  and  had  it 
not  been  done  for  the  best,  God  alone,  who  is  able,  long  since 
would  have  overruled  it.  IT  is  BY  DIVINE  APPOINTMENT." 

GENERAL   ASSEMBLY   OF    THE   PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH. 

Such  is  slaveholding  Christianity.  Let  us  now  see  whether  a 
better  can  be  found  at  the  North ;"  or  whether  the  religion  of  the 
South  and  North  be  not  one  and  the  same. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  until  quite 
recently,  extended  over  the  entire  Union — a  mighty  ecclesiastical 
giant,  whose  terrible  tread  shook  the  land.  A  division  has  now 
taken  place,  and  the  body  is  known  in  two  separate  organiza- 
tions, by  the  terms  Old  and  New  School  General  Assembly. 

Slavery,  however,  had  nothing  to   do  with   the    separation. 


19 

Both  churches  embrace  members  and  ministers  in  both  the  free 
and  slave  states :  and  the  subject  of  slavery  has  been  often 
forced  upon  the  consideration  of  both. 

The  first  direct  action  in  favor  of  slavery  ever  taken  by  the 
General  Assembly,  was  in  the  year  1816.  The  note  to  which 
allusion  is  made  in  Chapter  I,  appended  to  the  Catechism  defin- 
ing the  crime  of  man-stealing,  reflected  most  insufferably  upon 
the  man-stealers  (whose  name  was  Legion)  at  this  time  in  the 
church.  Accordingly  they  set  about  ridding  themselves  of  the 
evil  by  procuring  its  erasure  from  the  statutes  of  the  church ; 
and  in  18.16  they  procured  the  passage  of  the  following  Resolu- 
tion in  the  General  Assembly  : 

"Resolved,  That  as  it  belongs  to  the  General  Assembly  to  give 
directions  in  regard  to  the  notes  which  accompany  the  constitu- 
tion, this  Assembly  express  it  as  their  opinion,  that  in  printing 
future  editions  of  the  Confession  of  the  church,  the  note  connect- 
ed with  the  scripture  proofs  in  answer  to  the  question  in  the  larg- 
er catechism,  'What  is  forbidden  in  the  eighth  commandment?  ' 
in  which  the  nature  of  the  crime  of  man-stealing  and  slavery  is 
dilated  upon,  be  omitted.  In  regard  to  this  omission,  the  Assem- 
bly think  proper  to  declare,  that  in  directing  it,  they  are  influ- 
enced by  far  other  motives  than  any  desire  to  favor  slavery,  or  to 
retard  the  extinction  of  that  mournful  evil,  as  speedily  as  may 
consist  with  the  happiness  of  all  concerned."  . 

Whether  the  Assembly  spoke  truly,  when  they  said  they  had 
no  "  desire  to  favor  slavery  "  in  this  act,  will  not  be  decided  here. 
Such  an  assertion  was  most  necessary  surely ;  for  without  it,  the 
suspicions  of  the  world  in  regard  to  the  resolution  must  inevita- 
bly have  been  of  a  most  unfavorable  character. 

The  same  year  the  General  Assembly  considered  and  acted 
upon  this  question : 

"  Ought  Baptism,  on  the  profession  and  promise  of  the  Master, 
to  be  administered  to  the  children  of  slaves?  " 

This  was  the  strange  and  monstrous  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion : 

"  It  is  the  duty  of  masters  who  are  members  of  the  church,  to 
present  the  children  of  parents  in  servitude  to  the  ordinance  of 
Baptism.  It  is  the  duty  of  Christ's  ministers  to  baptize  all  chil- 
dren of  this  description  when  presented  to  them  by  their  mas- 
ters." 


20 

Whatever  might  have  been  the  wish  of  the  Assembly  relative 
to  the  Resolution  just  quoted,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  the  ten- 
dency of  its  passage,  in  connection  with  this  action  on  the  bap- 
tism of  infant  slaves,  would  not  be  to  "retard  the  extinction  of 
that  mournful  evil"  they  profess  so  much  to  deplore. 

The  later  proceedings  of  the  General  Assemblies,  Old  School 
or  New,  on  the  subject  of  Slavery,  are,  in  general,  too  barren  of 
interest  to  merit  much  attention.  The  Old  School  have  done 
nothing,  and  the  New,  much  worse.  The  former — with  fifty 
thousand  slaves  in  its  communion,  not  one  of  whom  ever  was 
married,  or  ever  will  be,  but  who  are  all  living  in  the  grossest 
prostitution,  herded  at  night  in  their  one-roomed  cabins,  as  the 
beasts  of  the  field — in  its  zeal  for  the  sac-redness  of  marriage, 
have  acted  on  the  case  of  one  of  their  number,  a  clergyman  of 
the  first  standing,  who  married  a  sister  of  his  deceased  wife,  and 
actually  deposed  him  from  the  ministry  and  expelled  him  from 
the  church,  as  guilty  of  incest. 

NEW    SCHOOL    GENERAL   ASSEMBLY. 

The  New  School  General  Assembly,  driven  by  the  advancing 
state  of  public  sentiment  to  do  something,  did  vote  solemnly  to 
refer  the  subject  to  the  subordinate  judicatories,  and  then,  prob- 
ably, wholly  to  avoid  another  early  collision  with  the  subject, 
they  voted  not  to  meet  again  for  three  years. 

The  three  years  passed  away.  At  the  next  convocation  they 
despatched  the  question  of  Slavery  in  the  most  summary  man- 
ner :  with  some  debate,  they  adopted  the  following  Resolution, 
in  1843 : 

"Resolved,  That  the  Assembly  do  not  think  it  for  the  edification 
of  the  church,  for  this  body  to  take  any  action  on  the  subject  of 
slavery." 

The  editors  of  the  New  York  Evangelist,  a  large  and  popular 
religious  paper,  reported  and  published  the  proceedings,  and 
claimed  that  the  Assembly  was  k  'fast  advancing  in  its  opposition 
to  slavery."  And  it  professed  to  be  greatly  charmed  with  the 
spirit  and  manner  of  the  debate.  Here  is  a  specimen,  as  reported 
by  and  for  that  paper. 

Rev.  Dr.  Hill,  of  Virginia,  said — "The  Abolitionists  have 
made  the  servitude  of  the  slaves  harder.  If  I  could  tell  you  %of 
some  of  the  dirty  tricks  which  these  abolitionists  have  played, 
you  would  not  wonder.  Some  of  them  have  been  LYNCHED, 
and  they  were  served  RIGHT."  Here  was  "  advance"  with  which 
to  be  "  charmed." 


21 

The  following  are  further  extracts  from  the  proceedings  of  the 
body,  pending  the  passage  of  the  resolution : 

"Rev.  Mr.  Groff,  of  Maryland,  was  opposed  to  the  resolutions. 
They  will  do  no  good.  Hitherto  we  have  gone  on  in  great  har- 
mony, but  cannot  any  longer  if  these  resolutions  prevail.  God 
does  not  require  us  to  declare  slavery  a  sin  ;  he  has  not  so  declared 
it  himself.  We  know  at  the  South  that  it  is  an  evil — a  great 
evil ;  the  South  groans  under  it,  but  at  present  they  do  not  see 
the  remedy.  And  where  does  God  justify  us  in  taking  his  place 
and  declaring  that  slavery  is  a  sin  ? 

"  In  taking  these  positions,  we  are  making  war  on  the  laws  of 
the  land  ;  which  neither  Christ  nor  his  apostles  did,  in  their  con- 
test with  evil.  And  the  Christian  population  is  so  very  small  a 
part  of  the  South,  that  our  opinions  will  have  no  weight  for  good. 

"And  finally,  if  these  resolutions  are  adopted,  the  Southern 
churches  will  separate  from  the  Assembly.  We  will  hold  on  as 
long  as  we  can  ;  we  shall  part  in  pain;  but  take  the  ground 
proposed,  and  our  beloved  Union  is  no  longer  ONE. 

"  Rev.  Dr.  Wisner,  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  spoke  on  the  general 
subject.  It  was  often  his  painful  duty  to  differ  from  brethren 
whom  he  loved.  He  never  had  been  able  to  go  with  whigs  or 
tories;  he  could  seldom  go  with  the  thorough-going  men  of  either 
party.  He  used  to  think  he  was  an  abolitionist,  but  he  finds  he 
is  not ;  he  is  even  called  a  pro-slavery  man  ;  by  some,  denounced 
as  selfish  and  man-fearing;  but  it  was  very  likely  that  others 
would  call  him  an  abolitionist,  when  they  knew  how  little  sym- 
pathy he  had  for  the  system  of  slavery.  Many  of  the  most  be- 
loved of  his  congregation  are  abolitionists;  one  of  the  memorials 
now  before  this  Assembly  is  signed  by  all  but  one  of  his  session, 
and  it  would  be  greatly  for  his  peace  of  mind,  if  he  could  see  his 
way  clear  to  go  with  them.  But  when  he  remembered  his  ordi- 
nation vows,  and  that  he  must  please  God  rather  than  man,  he 
must  pursue  that  course  to  which  he  is  shut  up  by  the  word  of 
God. 

"  What  would  be  the  duty  of  a  Christian  minister,  if  he  were 
living  under  the  despotism  of  Prussia  or  Turkey  ?  Must  he  de- 
nounce every  act  of  tyranny  as  an  outrage  on  the  rights  of  man, 
and  a  sin  against  the  law  of  God?  But  it  may  be  said,  that  we 
must  purify  the  church.  And  how  ?  By  sending  down  an 
opinion  that  Slavery  is  an  unlawful  sin  ?  Even  this  will  not 
satisfy  the  abolitionists.  They  must  have  the  knife' of  disci- 
pline applied  to  all  who  hold  slaves.  They  would  even  go  so  far 
as  to  adopt  the  1837  plan  of  EXCISION,  and  cut  off  from  the  pul- 
pit, and  the  communion  of  the  church,  all  slave-holders.  This 
has  been  done  by  one  Synod,  and  others  want  the  assent  to  do  the 


22 

same.  But  before  we  exclude  our  Southern  brethren  from  our 
pulpits,  we  might  at  least  wait  till  the}'  ask  us  to  let  them  in.  I 
should  feel  .strange  to  write  to  my  brother  Hill,  of  Virginia,  that 
he  must  not  come  to  Ithaca  and  preach,  and  he  should  write  back 
that  I  had  better  wait  till  he  wanted  to  come.  Now,  have  we 
not  had  enough  of  EXCISION,  without  this  going  over  the  heads  of 
Synods,  and  Presbyteries,  and  Sessions,  to  excommunicate  our 
Southern  brethren  ?  Dr.  W.  then  established,  with  masterly 
power  and  great  effect,  the  following  positions  : 

"  1.  Slavery  is  a  civil  institution,  as  much  so  as  the  despotism  of 
Prussia,  and  regulated  by  the  laws  of  the  state  and  of  the  United 
States. 

*'  2.  The  political  world  is  now  in  an  excited  state  of  mind  on 
this  subject,  in  consequence  of  the  radical  and  treasonable  designs 
of  abolitionists. 

"  3.  The  memorials  asking  action  on  this  subject  have  not  come 
from  those  who  are  suffering  under  the  evils  of  slavery,  but  from 
men  in  the  free  States. 

"  4.  We  are  not  authorized  by  the  word  of  God  to  say  that  every 
man  who  holds  slaves  is  guilty  of  sin.  Father  Richards,  of  Au- 
burn, owns  an  old  woman  in  New  Jersey,  and  pays  for  her  board 
because  she  will  not  '  use  her  liberty.'  Is  he  a  great  sinner  going 
down  to  perdition  ? 

"5.  A  worse  kind  of  slavery  than  Southern  slavery  prevailed 
in  the  days  of  our  Saviour  and  the  apostles.  If  any  man  denies 
this,  he  has  not  studied  the  history  of  those  times.  Read  Gibbon, 
and  McKnight's  Exposition,  and  Jahn,  and  you  will  find  it  so. 

"  Now,  the  mode  in  which  our  Saviour  and  the  apostles  treated 
the  subject,  is  to  be  our  guide.  There  is  the  most  overwhelming 
testimony  that  the  state  of  slavery  was  far  worse  then  than  at 
the  South  now  ;  masters  had  the  power  of  life  and  death  over 
their  slaves,  and  often  used  it ;  the  slave  was  not  considered  as  a 
man,  but  as  a  beast — as  a  chattel  personal.  And  the  apostle  felt 
called  on  to  go  into  a  special  exposition  of  the  relative  duties  of 
masters  and  slaves  ;  and  it  had  always  been  a  matter  of  grief  to 
him  (Dr.  W.)  that  his  abolition  brethren  are  so  unwilling  to  go 
to  the  Bible,  and  learn  the  specific  directions  which  it  contains  on 
this  subject.  Brother  Beecher  said  that  we  must  look  at  the 
'great.principles'  of  God's  government,  and  not  confine  our  view 
to  specific  cases.  But  when  I  was  a  young  man,  I  was  a  lawyer  ; 
and  when  we  were  seeking  to  establish  some  great  principle  of  law 
we  were  always  glad  to  find  its  application  to  a  specific  case  ;  and 
if  there  was  an  authorized  exposition  of  the  law  in  such  cases, 
that  settled  the  question.  Now,  the  apostles  give  us  God's  own 
exposition  of  his  law,  and  if  we  consult  their  writings,  we  shall 
learn  the  'great  principles  of  this  government.'  Then  if  the 
apostles  did  give  directions  on  this  subject,  what  were  they  ?  In 


23 

his  first  letter  to  Timothy,  6:  1—3,  he  writes:  [Let  the  reader 
turn  to  these  passages,  and  those  that  follow,  and  read  them.] 

"  If  brother  Beecher  had  been  in  the  place  of  good  old  Abra- 
ham, and  God  had  told  him  to  take  his  only  son  Isaac,  and  put 
him  to  death,  Mr.  Beecher  would  look  up  and  say,  '  Why,  Lord, 
it  is  contrary  to  the  "great  principles"  of  your  government  for 
me  to  take  the  life  of  my  son  ;  I  can't  do  it ; '  and  so  Mr.  Beecher 
would  refuse  to  obey  a  positive  precept,  because  it  conflicts  with 
what  he  thinks  is  a  great  principle.  But  if  God  tells  me  to  lay 
my  wife  on  the  altar,  it  shall  be  done. 

"And  I  have  been  shocked  when  my  abolition  brethren  have 
told  me  that  if  they  thought  the  Bible  tolerated  slavery,  they 
would  reject  the  Bible.  But  I  dare  not  take  this  liberty  with  the 
Bible.  I  will  believe  it,  and  obey  it,  the  whole  of  it,  or  none. 
And  when  we  thus  yield  to  its  teachings,  we  are  denounced  as 
pro-slavery  men,  and  called  by  every  hard  name  that  abolition 
lecturers  can  turn  their  tongues  to. 

"Dr.  W.  then  cited  and  commented  on  Eph.  6  :  6—9.  Col.  3. 
22—25.  4:  1. 

"  Titus  2  :  9,  10,  'not  purloining,'  is  the  advice  given  here  to 
servants.  The  apostle,  said  Dr.  W.,  does  not  advise  slaves  to 
steal  horses  and  boats,  and  any  thing  necessary  for  their  escape. 

"  Col.  3  :  18—20.     1  Cor.  7  :  21,  22. 

"Nor  does  all  this  prove  that  the  Bible  approves  of  slavery. 
Not  at  all.  But  it  does  prove  that  political  institutions  are  not  to 
be  assailed  by  the  church.  Here  is  the  specific  direction  as  to  the 
way  in  which  the  ministers  of  Christ  are  to  treat  the  evil  of  slavery, 
and  when  the  Bible  tells  me  what  to  do,  I  will  do  it,  though  hell 
and  earth  stand  in  the  way.  And  I  will  spend  my  few  remaining 
days  in  solitude,  and  go  down  to  my  grave  friendless  and  alone, 
rather  than  violate  my  ordination  vows,  and  go  with  my  abolition 
brethren  in  defiance  of  the  plain  precepts  of  our  Saviour  and  his 
apostles.  My  business  is  to  labor  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  I 
would  rather  go  to  the  South  and  fight  slavery  '  tooth  and  nail,' 
than  to  be  assailing  it  here,  as  an  ecclesiastical  body. 

"  And  now  let  me  ask  my  brethren  what  good  they  will  do  by 
driving  their  measures  through.  The  churches  have  just  settled 
down  after  the  great  schism,  revivals  have  been  numerous  and 
powerful,  our  numbers  are  almost  doubled,  and  now  we  are  called 
on  to  draw  another  line,  and  that  to  be  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 
Nor  is  this  to  be  the  end.  When  these  brethren  have  cut  off  the 
South,  they  will  next  want  to  get  rid  of  all  who  will  not  go  with 
them  in  abolition  measures.  We  are  marked  on  the  catalogue  to 
go  next.  And  if  the  ploughshare  is  to  be  driven  again,  I  almost 
wish  that  I  lived  on  the  other  side  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line, 
for  I  cannot  live  where  I  am  to  be  forever  goaded  with  this 
thing.  I  cannot,  and  I  will  not." 


24 

"  3£  o'clock,  p.  M. 

"  Assembly  was  constituted  with  prayer  by  the  Moderator,  and 
after  the  adoption  of  the  minutes  of  the  morning  session,  the  un- 
finished business,  viz.,  Dr.  Dickersori's  resolution,  was  resumed. 
The  Eev.  Mr.  Cook,  from  Illinois,  having  the  floor,  went  into  a 
lengthened  defence  of  anti-slavery  views,  in  opposition  to  the  res- 
olutions. The  Kev.  Dr.  Ely  spoke  on  tne  other  side,  and  was 
followed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Beecher  and  the  Kev.  Mr. 
Myers.  After  the  last  speaker  had  concluded,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ely, 
the  Moderator,  suggested  that  the  members  had  had  a  full  oppor- 
tunity to  express  their  sentiments  on  the  subject,  and  submitted 
to  the  good  sense  of  the  House,  whether  this  discussion  had  not 
better  terminate ;  after  which,  however,  Rev.  Mr.  Linsley  pro- 
ceeded to  make  some  further  remarks,  and  was  followed  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Gridley,  who  gave  in  a  brief  manner  his  views  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  resolution. 

"  The  question  recurring  on  Dr.  Dickerson's  resolution,  the  yeas 
and  nays  being  called  for  and  sustained,  were  ordered,  and  resulted 
as  follows  : 

"  For  the  resolution,  66  ;  against  it,  33. 

"  The  Assembly  then  engaged  in  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving  to 
Almighty  God,  for  the  spirit  of  tenderness  and  forbearance  exer- 
cised during  the  discussoin  of  this  very  important  subject." 

In  May,  1846,  the  Assembly  again  convened,  and  again  the 
subject  of  slavery,  the  dreaded'  question,  like  some  unearthly,  un- 
welcome ghost,  stalked  into  this  sacerdotal  Congress. 

The  following  was  the  disposal  of  it,  by  a  vote  of  97  to  27. 
The  declarations  were  introduced  by  Rev.  Dr.  Duffield : 

"  1.  The  system  of  slavery  as  it  exists  in  these  United  States, 
viewed  either  in  the  law  of  the  several  States  which  sanction  it, 
or  in  its  actual  operation  and  results  in  society,  is  intrinsically 
unrighteous  and  oppressive,  and  is  opposed  to  the  prescriptions  of 
the  law  of  God,  to  the  spirit  and  precepts  of  the  gospel,  and  to 
the  best  interests  of  humanity. 

"  2.  The  testimony  of  the  General  Assembly,  from  the  A.  D. 
1787,  to  A.  D.  1818,  inclusive,  has  condemned  it,  and  it  remains 
still  the  recorded  testimony  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  these 
United  States  against  it,  from  which  we  do  not  recede. 

"  3.  "We  cannot,  therefore,  withhold  the  expression  of  our 
deep  regret  that  slavery  should  be  continued  and  countenanced 
by  any  of  the  members  of  our  churches  ;  and  we  do  earnestly 
exhort  both  them  and  the  churches,  among  whom  it  exists,  to  use 
all  means  in  their  power  to  put  it  away  from  them.  Its  perpet- 
uation among  thfm  cannot  fail  to  be  regarded  by  multitudes  in- 
fluenced by  their  example,  as  sanctioning  the  system  portrayed 


25 

in  it,  and  maintained  by  the  statutes  of  the  several  slaveholding 
States  wherein  they  dwell.  Nor  can  any  mere  mitigation  of  its 
severity,  prompted  by  the  humanity  and  Christian  feeling  of  any 
who  continue  to  hold  their  fellow-men  in  bondage,  be  regarded 
either  as  a  testimony  against  the  system,  or  as  in  the  least  degree 
changing  its-essential  character. 

"  4.  But  while  we  believe  that  many  evils  incident  to  the 
system  render  it  important  and  obligatory  to  bear  testimony 
against  it,  yet  would  we  not  undertake  to  determine  the  degree 
of  moral  turpitude  on  the  partof  individuals  involved  by  it.  This 
will  doubtless  be  found  to  vary  in  the  sight  of  God,  according  to 
the  degree  of  light  and  other  circumstances  pertaining  to  each. 
In  view  of  all  the  embarrassments  and  obstacles  in  the  way  of 
emancipation  interposed  by  the  statutes  of  the  slaveholding  States, 
and  by  the  social  influence  affecting  the  views  and  conduct  of  those 
involved  in  it,  we  cannot  pronounce  a  judgment  of  general  and 
promiscuous  condemnation,  implying  that  destitution  of  Christian 
principle  and  feeling  which  should  exclude  from  the  table  of  the 
Lord  all  who  should  stand  in  the  legal  relation  of  masters  to 
slaves,  or  justify  us  in  withholding  our  ecclesiastical  and  Christian 
fellowship  from  them.  We  rather  sympathize  with,  and  would 
seek  to  succor  them  in  their  embarrassments,  believing  that  sepa- 
ration and  secpssion  among  the  churches  and  their  members  are 
not  the  methods  God  approves  and  sanctions  for  the  reformation 
of  his  church. 

"5.  While,  therefore,  we  feel  bound  to  bear  our  testimony 
against  slavery,  and  to  exhort  our  beloved  brethren  to  remove  it 
from  them  as  speedily  as  possible,  by  all  appropriate  and  available 
means,  we  do  at  the  same  time  condemn  all  divisive  and  schis- 
matical  measures,  tending  to  destroy  the  unity  and  disturb  the 
peace  of  our  church,  and  deprecate  the  spirit  of  denunciation  and 
inflicting  severities,  which  would  cast  from  the  fold  those  whom 
we  are  rather  bound,  by  the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  and  the  obli- 
gations of  our  covenant,  to  instruct,  to  counsel,  to  exhort,  and  thus 
to  lead  in  the  ways  of  God  ;  and  towards  whom,  even  though 
they  may  err,  to  exercise  forbearance  and  brotherly  love. 

"6.  As  a  court  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  possess  no  legis- 
lative authority  ;  and  as  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  we  possess  no  judiciary  authority.  We  have  no  right  to 
institute  and  prescribe  a  test  of  Christian  character  and  church 
membership,  not  recognized  and  sanctioned  in  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures, and  in  our  standards,  by  which  we  have  agreed  to  walk. 

We  must  leave,  therefore,  this  matter  with  the  Sessions,  Presby- 
teries and  Synods — the  Judicatories  to  whom  pertains  the  right  of 
judgment  to  act  in  the  administration  of  discipline,  as  they 
may  judge  it  to  be  their  duty,  constitutionally,  subject  to  the 
General  Assembly,  only  in  the  way  of  general  review  and  control." 
2 


26 

No  apology  need  be  offered  for  giving  these  declarations  at 
full  length.  They  are  among  the  most  important  evidence  that 
can  be  adduced  as  to  the  character  of  American  Religion.  They 
are  the  very  last  action  of  one  of  the  most  important  ecclesiastical 
parliaments  in  Christendom. 

The  first  declaration  is  a  very  fearful  condemnation  of  slavery. 
It  declares  it  u  intrinsically  unrighteous,  opposed  to  both  the 
law  and  the  gospel,  and  the  best  interests  of  humanity."  No 
more  can  be  said  of  the  most  horrible  piracy  or  murder,  as  those 
crimes  are  understood  and  punished  among  men. 

The  third  declaration  admits  that  it  is  "  still  countenanced  and 
practised  by  members  of  the  churches." 

~The  fourth  and  fifth  declarations  declare,  that  monstrous  and 
diabolical  as  slavery  is,  and  black  as,  by  the  Assembly's  own 
showing,  the  depravity  is  that  practises  it,  still  it  deprecates  any 
"  divisive  measures,  that  would  destroy  the  unity  and  disturb 
the  peace  of  the  church."  It  even  "  deprecates  denunciation 
and  severity "  in  regard  to  those  u  beloved  brethren  "  who  are 
thus  sinning  against  "  the  law  of  God,  the  precepts  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  the  best  interests  of  humanity."  If  proclamation  for  a 
"  thanksgiving  day  "  was  not  immediately  issued  from  the  Coun- 
cil Chamber  of  Perdition  when  news  of  these  Resolutions  arriv- 
ed, the  inhabitants  there  must  be  as  devoid  of  gratitude  as  is  the 
General  Assembly  of  some  other  equally  important  graces  and 
gifts. 

A  Parody  on  two  or  three  or  these  resolutions  will  exhibit 
them  in  their  true  character.  One  word  only  need  be  changed. 

"I.  The  system  of  sheep-stealing,  as  it  exists  in  the  United 
States,"  etc.,' etc. 

The  second  Resolution  is  omitted  in  the  Parody. 

"  III.  We  cannot,  therefore,  withhold  the  expression  of  deep 
regret,  that  sheep-stealing  should  be  countenanced  and  continued 
by  any  of  the  members  of  our  churches.  And  we  do  earnestly 
exhort  both  them  and  the  churches  among  whom  sheep-stealing 
exists,  to  use  all  means  in  their  power  to  put  it  away. 

"  IV.  But  while  we  believe  that  many  evils  incident  to  sheep- 
stealing  render  it  important  and  obligatory  to  bear  testimony 
against  it,  yet  we  would  not  undertake  to  determine  the  degree 
of  moral  turpitude  on  the  part  of  individual  sheep -stealers.  This 
will  doubtless  be  found  to  vary  in  the  sight  of  God,  according  to 
the  degree  of  light  and  other  circumstances  pertaining  to  each 
individual  stealer. 

"V.  While,  therefore,  we  feel  bound  to  bear  our  testimony 
against  sheep-stealing,  and  to  exhort  our  beloved  sheep-stealing 
brethren  to  remove  it  from  them  as  speedily  as  possible,  by  all 


27 

available  and  appropriate  means,  we  do  at  the  same  time  con- 
demn all  divisive  and  schisrnatical  measures,  tending  to  destroy  the 
unity  and  disturb  the  peace  of  our  church,  and  deprecate  the 
spirit  of  denunciation,  and  inflicting  severities  which  would  cast 
from  the  fold  those  sheep-stealers  whom  we  are  rather  bound  by 
the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  and  the  obligations  of  our  covenant,  to 
instruct,  to  counsel,  to  exhort,  and  thus  to  lead  in  the  way  of 
God ;  and  towards  whom,  even  though  they  may  err  [in  living 
by  constantly  stealing  sheep] ,  to  exercise  forbearance  and  broth- 
erly love." 

Let  the  resolutions,  as  thus  rendered,  be  compared  with  the 
original,  and  see  if  they  are  not  in  perfect  harmony,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  word  naming  the  offence  under  consideration. 
And  let  this  variation  be  contemplated  in  connection  with  the 
question  once  propounded  by  the  son  of  God.  "  How  much  bet- 
ter is  a  man  than  a  sheep?1'  and  which  (with  due  reverence  be 
it  spoken)  the  Asker  himself  could  scarcely  answer.  If  the 
stealers  of  sheep  go  not  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  where  will 
those  stand  who  steal  habitually  the  sons  of  God  ? 

The  position  assumed  by  the  New  School  General  Assembly, 
in  relation  to  the  famous  "Evangelical  Alliance," is  deserving  of 
a  passing  notice. 

Some  months  before  the  meeting  of  the  Alliance,  a  Resolution 
was  passed  in  England,  by  a  body  of  the  directors  of  the  move- 
ment, to  the  effect  that  no  slaveholders  should  be  invited ;  but 
not  declaring  that  they  shpuld  be  excluded  from  the  gathering, 
if  they  presented  themselves  at  its  doors  and  claimed  admis- 
sion. 

When  news  of  this  proceeding  reached  the  United  States,  the 
General  Assembly,  New  School,  was  in  session  at  Philadelphia. 
That  body  immediately  declared  it  would  send  no  delegates  to 
the  Alliance.  Rev.  Dr.  Cox  was  moderator,  and  in  his  zeal  to 
be  a  delegate,  he  opposed  the  action  of  the  Assembly.  He  even 
solicited  the  suffrages  of  the  members  of  the  body,  and  assured 
the  slave-holding  brethren,  that  if  they  would  only  send  him, 
their  honor  should  be  safe  in  his  hands.  That  if  the  Alliance 
dared  to  unchristianize  them,  only  for  their  man-stealing,  he 
would  shake  off  the  dust  of  his  feet  against  it. 

But  appeals  and  promises  were  vain.  The  Assembly  felt  itself 
outraged,  and  no  delegation  was  appointed. 

Sixty  or  seventy  clergymen,  however,  Northern  and  Southern, 
attended  from  this  country.  These  were  the  Beechers,  the  Pat- 
tons,  the  Smiths,  the  Coxes,  the  Kirks,  and  some  others,  Doctors 
of  Divinity,  besides  many  whose  Divinity  had  not  been  Doctored, 
much  as  it  needed  it.  For  many  days  the  Alliance  sat  and 


28 

glorified  itself.  But  in  an  'evil? hour  the  dreaded  question  of 
Slavery  forced  itself  upon  the  consideration  of  the  august  Pres- 
ence. 

The  scenes  which  followed  were  worthy  only  of  those  who  en- 
acted them.  Compromise  was  the  resort  and  the  agreement. 
But  the  agreement  lasted  only  for  a  night.  Sorrow  came  in  the 
morning.  For,  so  soon  as  the  convention  could  hurry  off  its  de- 
votions, the  American  delegates  clamorously  insisted  that  all  al- 
lusion to  slavery  should  be  erased  from  and  ever  after  kept  from 
the  proceedings,  or  they  would  no  longer  remain  in  the  body. 
The  whole  morning  session  was  occupied  with  the  fearful  discus- 
sion. The  hour  of  adjournment  came,  but  brought  no  reconcil- 
iation. 

But  what  the  American  delegates  lacked  in  the  argument,  they 
more  than  achieved  by  a  stroke  of  matchless  policy,  that  will 
doubtless  form  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  Ecclesiastical  warfare. 
The  hour  of  dinner  being  announced,  they  gravely  and  sorrow- 
fully told  the  Convention  they  should  forego  dining,  and  spend 
the  hour  in  solemn  prayer. 

Never  before,  probably,  were  "  prayer  and  fasting  "  more 
efficacious.  Evidently  the  spirit  of  freedom  and  Christianity 
could  in  no  other  way  have  been  cast  out  of  the  Alliance. 

When  the  hour  of  assembling  arrived,  the  question  again  came 
on,  and  very  soon  was  adjusted  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
American  delegation.  Thus  slavery  triumphed,  and  ruled  in  the 
World's  Alliance,  as  it  still  rules  in  the  church  in  the  United 
States. 

No  matter  how  black  and  bloody  the  man-stealer  may  be,  if  he 
confess  but  an  Orthodox  Faith.  The  Evangelical  Alliance  wel- 
comes him  to  its  embrace,  while  it  excludes  the  holiest  Fenelons, 
Woolmans,  and  Channings,  that  ever  became  inhabitants  of  Par- 
adise. 

AMERICAN     BOARD     OF    COMMISSIONERS   FOR   FOREIGN   MISSIONS. 
SLAVERY    AND    POLYGAMY. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian church,  is  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions.  Indeed,  in  many  respects  it  undoubtedly  should  take 
precedence,  not  only  to  the  General  Assembly,  but  to  any  other 
ecclesiastical  association  in  this  or  any  other  country.  The  fol- 
lowing chancery  notice  in  its  favor,  shows  that  it  had  not,  during 
the  quarter  of  a  century  it  had  then  existed,  shown  itself  partic- 
ularly hostile  to  the  slave  system  in  the  midst  of  which  it  was 
carrying  on  its  operations.  The  notice  is  from  a  newspaper  in 
Savannah,  Georgia : — 


29 

Bryan  Superior  Court. 

Between  John  J.  Maxwell  and  others,  executors  of  Ann  "1 

Pray,  complainants,  and  IN 

Mary  Sleigh  and  others,  Devisees  and  Legatees,  under  j  EQUITY. 
the  will  of  Ann  Pray,  defendants.  J 

"A  bill  having  been  filed  for  the  distribution  of  the  estate  of 
the  Testatrix,  Ann  Pray,  and  it  appearing  that  among  other  lega- 
cies in  her  will,  is  the  following,  viz.  :  a  legacy  of  one  fourth  of 
certain  negro  slaves,  to  the  American  .Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Domestic  [Foreign  it  probably  should  have  been]  Missions, 
for  the  purpose  of  sending  the  gospel  to  the  Heathen,  and  partic- 
ularly to  the  Indians  of  this  continent,  It  is,  on  motion  of  the  so- 
licitors of  the  complainant,  ordered  that  all  persons  claiming  the 
said  legacy,  do  appear  and  answer  the  bill  of  the  complainants, 
within  four  months  from  this  day.  And  it  is  ordered,  that  this 
order  be  published  in  a  public  Gazette  of  the  city  of  Savannah, 
and  in  one  of  the  Gazettes  of  Philadelphia,  once  a  month,  for 
four  months. 

"  Extract  from  the  minutes,  December  2d,  1832. 

"  JOHN  SMITH,  c.  s.  c.  B.  c." 

The  bequest  is  said  not  to  have  been  accepted  by  the  Board. 
Its  refusal  could  not  have  been  on  the  ground  of  hostility  to  the 
slave  system,  for  it  is  well  understood  that  the  Board  and  that 
system  are,  and  ever  have  been,  on  terms  of  the  profoundest  in- 
timacy and  communion. 

Why  the  bequest  could  not  have  been  accepted,  it  is  difficult 
to  see,  since  living  men  are  continually  bringing  to  this  treasury 
the  price  of  slaves.  Agents  are  always  prowling  about  our  hu- 
man shambles,  under  the  direction  of  the  Board,  seeking  aid  to 
carry  the  gospel  to  the  heathen.  The  Board  has  often  been 
earnestly  solicited  to  refuse  the  cooperation  and  the  donations  of 
slave-holders,  and  has  as  often  refused.  The  contribution  boxes 
are  all  spattered  with  blood.  This  same  Ann  Pray  had,  unques- 
tionably, in  her  lifetime,  put  many  a  body  and  soul  into  them. 
Why  not, then,  at  her  death  have  tossed  in" what  remained?  Let 
the  Board  answer.  True,  it  would  have  been  a  refinement  on 
the  depravity  of  those  who  murdered  the  immaculate  Jesus.  But 
then  the  almost  universal  testimony  is  (whether  right  or  wrong), 
that  the  world  is  getting  worse  and  worse.  And  it  is  difficult  to 
see,  if  it  is  so,  why  the  American  Board  should  be  considered  an 
exception. 

Men  have  looked  in  vain,  as  they  supposed,  for  desperation  of 
depravity  like  that  of  those  who  enacted  the  tragic  scenes  of 
Calvary.  It  was  indeed  a  fearful  sublimation  of  iniquity,  as  the 


30 

church  teaches,  that  could  perpetrate  the  fell  deed,  amid  the  con- 
vulsions of  nature  all  around — the  quaking  earth  groaning  its 
horror,  the  rocks  bursting  with  dire  astonishment,  the  swarded 
graves  rending,  their  pale  inhabitants  shocked  forth  again  to 
very  life,  the  heavens  hung  in  mourning  for  the  funereal  hour, 
the  sun  putting  on  midnight,  and  universal  being,  bending  be- 
neath its  unutterable  woe ;  it  was  deep  and  dark  depravity  that 
could  do  such  a  deed  amid  such  demonstrations,  and  even  mock 
the  dying  agonies  of  him  who  died  with  a  prayer  for  his  tor- 
mentors ;  but  even  they  dared  not  bring  the  price  of  their  victim 
to  the  Missionary  Box,  "  because,"  they  said,  "  it  is  the  price  of 
blood." 

The  Board,  too,  has  employed  Missionaries,  and  sent  them  to 
Africa,  who  are  the  owners  of  slaves.  John  Leighton  Wilson  has 
gone  there  to  teach,  perhaps,  the  grand-parents  of  some  of  his 
own  slaves,  and  make  converts  of  them  to  a  religion  that  in  this 
land  would  enslave  every  African  from  Morocco  to  Madagascar, 
and  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

The  Board,  too,  is  building  up  churches  among  the  heathen 
Indians,  filled  with  slave-holders  and  slaves.  Indeed,  it  is  from 
our  civilization  and  religion  that  the  aborigines  of  this  country 
have  learned  slavery,  and  that  to  make  goods  and  chattels  of 
their  brethren  is  a  gospel  institution.  Never  was  it  known  until 
the  Mayflower  discharged  her  "freight  of  great  principles"  on 
Plymouth  Rock  that  an  untutored  Indian  held  a  slave  in  all  the 
wilds  of  America 

On  this  subject  the  Board  has  been  often  memorialized.  In 
1845  it  endeavored  to  settle  the  question,  as  one  of  its  members 
most  significantly  and  prophetically  said,  "  once  for  all." 

A  long  and  labored  Report  was  made  by  the  committee  to 
whom  the  subject  was  referred,  Rev.  Dr.  Woods,  of  Andover 
Theological  Seminary,  Chairman,  defending  the  course  of  the 
Board  in  admitting  slave-holders  to  the  mission  churches.  The 
essence  of  the  report  is  contained  in  this  single  declaration,  as 
given  by  a  member  and  friend  of  the  Board  itself — that  "It  is 
the  duty  of  the  Board  to  prosecute  the  work  of  saving  souls,  with- 
out attempting  to  interfere  with  the  civil  condition  of  society  any 
faster  than  the  consciences  of  the  people  become  enlightened." 

The  report  underwent  much  discussion  before  its  unanimous 
adoption.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Tyler,  President  of  a  Theological  Sem- 
inary in  Connecticut,  said, '"The  Apostles  admitted  slave-holders 
to  the  church,  and  for  this  Board  to  decide  against  it,  would  be 
to  impeach  the  Apostles." 

Dr.  Bacon  said,  "  The  Board  ought  to  make  a  distinction  be- 
tween slavery  and  slave-holding,  a  distinction  that  I  deem  ex- 


31 

tremely  obvious.  The  master  does  not  make  the  man  a  slave, 
but  the  laws  and  constitution  of  society." 

Dr.  Stowe,  of  another  Theological  Seminary,  said,  "  I  would 
sooner  die,  than  say  our  missionaries  ought  to  enter  their  open 
protest  against  all  the  evils  with  which  they  may  come  in  con- 
tact. *  *  Jacob  lived  with  four  women  at  once.  Had 
there  been  an  organized  church  then,  must  Jacob  have  been  ex- 
cluded !"  *  *  *  "These  examples  are  for  our  instruction; 
and  give  us  just  the  light  we  need  in  this  matter." 

And  Dr.  Beecher,  of  Boston,  said,  "  Masters  and  slaves  ex- 
isted in  the  primitive  churches,  and  it  was  allowed  by  Christ  and 
his  Apostles.  Slavery  is  an  ORGANIC  SIN,  made  by  law,  and 
therefore  not  dealt  with  as  other1  sins." 

These  are  but  brief  extracts  of  the  discussion.  With  these 
arguments,  and  others  of  similar  tonnage,  the  Board  convinced 
at  least  itself;  and  the  Report  was  unanimously  adopted.  The 
Board  has  now,  and  intends  to  have,  slave-holders  as  officers, 
corporate  members,  agents,  missionaries,  and  members  of  mis- 
sion churches.  Comment  on  these  strange  proceedings  is  hardly 
necessary.  It  would  be  sufficient,  probably,  should  the  words 
slavery  and  slave-holder  be  stricken  out,  and  those  of  horse-steal- 
ing and  horse-stealer  substituted  in  their  places.  This  can  be 
most  readily  done  by  any  reader  who  has  the  inclination. 

POLYGAMY. 

At  the  next  anniversary  of  the  American  Board,  another  sub- 
ject, equally  affecting  its  character,  came  up  for  consideration. 
The  New  York  Observer  gives  us  the  following  particulars 
respecting  the  meeting  itself : 

"  Prayer  was  offered  by  Kev.  Dr.  Yale,  of  Kingsboro'. 

"  At  the  suggestion  of  Kev.  Dr.  Anderson,  the  Board  at  the  out- 
set of  its  deliberations  spent  an  hour  in  devotional  exercises.  Fa- 
ther Sewell  led  the  assembly  in  prayer.  It  was  good  to  go  with  him 
to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  see  the  old  Patriarch^struggling  with 
the  Angel  of  the  Covenant.  He  seemed  to  take  h'old  of  the  horns 
of  the  altar,  and  to  plead  for  a  blessing  as  if  he  would  take  no 
denial. 

"  Dr.  Anderson  gave  expression  to  the  belief  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
would  be  present  hi  this  meeting.  He  referred  to  the  glorious 
displays  of  the  power  of  God  among  the  Missions  of  the  Board 
during  the  year,  and  he  trusted  that  we  hud  come  together  to  re- 
joice with  gratitude  and  praise. 

"  Dr.  Edwards  led  the  Board  in  prayer. 

"  The  effect  of  these  exercises  was  very  happy.  The  great  num- 
ber of  clergyman  and  others  who  had  assembled,  entered  with 


32 

delight  into  the  services,  and  the  spirit  of  devotion  was  delight- 
ful. 

"After  this  prayer  meeting,  the  organization  of  the  meeting 
was  completed." 

The  missionaries,  finding  slave-holding  no  barrier  to  church 
fellowship  in  Christian  countries,  very  naturally  concluded  the 
same  liberality  should  be  extended  to  those  guilty  of  lesser  obliq- 
uities, and  in  the  darkness  of  paganism  too,  and  before  the  world 
was  aware,  the  mission  churches  were  becoming  the  veriest 
harems  in  all  the  East,  polygamy  being  no  obstacle  whatever  to 
admission. 

The  Board  was  again  memorialized.  The  question  whether 
polygamists  should  be  admitted  to  the  mission  churches  had  now 
to  be  met.  Expectation  was  everywhere  alive.  The  subject 
was  referred  to  an  august  committee,  Chancellor  Walworth,  of 
New  York,  Chairman.  To  the  astonishment  of  some,  the  grief 
of  many,  and  the  horror  of  all,  but  the  Board,  the  committee  re- 
ported in  favor  of  polygamy,  or  at  least,  against  instructing  the 
missionaries  to  exclude  polygamists,  and  the  report,  after  long 
discussion,  was  adopted  without  a  dissenting  voice,  those  oppos- 
ing, if  such  there  were,  not  choosing  to  register  their  testimony 
against  it. 

As  the  action  of  the  Board  on  this  subject  is  of  such  vast  im- 
portance as  a  development  of  its  true  character,  and  as  it  con- 
firms all  that  has  been  presented  relative  to  its  action  on  slavery, 
the  subjects  and  the  action  bearing  such  resemblance,  it  may  be 
proper,  as  well  as  useful,  to  introduce  here  some  extracts  from 
the  discussions  which  were  had  on  the  adoption  of  Chancellor 
Walworth's  Report. 

"Rev.  Mr.  TRASK  said — I  am  not  satisfied,  Mr.  President, 
with  this  report,  and  I  ought  to  say  so.  I  am  glad,  sir,  the  sub- 
ject is  brought  before  us.  My  mind  is  relieved  a  little.  These 
Secretaries  appear  a  little  better  than  before.  And  I  must  say,  if 
no  one  else  thanks  the  good  men  and  women  who  have  sent  in  these 
memorials  and  inquiries,  I  for  one  do.  They  have  done  their 
duty;  for,  instead  of  standing  afar  oft",  complaining  and  mur- 
muring, they  have  come  up  to  this  Board,  the  proper  place,  and 
made  known  their  feelings. 

"How  does  the  matter  before  us  stand?  This  is  certain: — a 
polygamist  has  entered  a  mission  church,  and  these  Secretaries 
have  known  and  winked  at  it.  How  many  more  have  been  ad- 
mitted we  do  not  know.  I  have  the  charity  to  think,  and  the 
candor  to  say,  probably  very  few.  But  this  is  not  enough.  The 
bars  have  been  down,  are  now  down,  and  the  field  is  open,  and 
multitudes  may,  hereafter,  be  admitted. 


33 

"  Mr.  PERKINS  spoke  as  follows  :  There  are  some  very  singular 
facts  connected  with  the  subject  which  has  thus  come  before  us. 
One  of  the  most  singular  is,  that  the  Secretaries  seem  to  know 
nothing  ab  nit  it.  They  appear  to  consider  the  existence  of  po- 
lygamy in  their  churches  as  so  frivolous  a  matter  that  even  after 
it  was  brought  to  their  notice,  they  forebore  to  make  inquiries, 
and  remain,  voluntarily,  in  profound  ignorance. 

"I  am  surprised,  also,  at  the  manner  in  which  the  inquiries 
into  this  subject  are  met.  We  came  here  in  all  honesty,  to  obtain 
information  respecting  the  manner  in  which  the  missions  are  con- 
ducted, and  are  told  that  we  are  'troublesome,'  'meddlesome,' 
'snarlisb,'  'enemies  of  the  Board.'  *  *  Sir,  we 

do  not  know  how  many  polygamists  are  in  the  mission  churches. 
According  to  the  statements  of  the  Secretary,  evening  before  last, 
four  cases  have  come  before  the  Prudential  Committee.  In  two 
cases,  polygamists  were  actually  admitted  into  the  mission 
churches.  Not  a  hint  of  disapprobation  was  dropped  by  the 
Prudential  Committee.  In  two  other  cases  the  missionaries  asked 
advice,  and  such  advice  was  refused.  The  venerable  body  were 
utterly  unable  to  decide  the  question,  whether  a  sin,  which  in  all 
Christian  nations  consigns  a  man  to  a  felon's  infamy  and  prison, 
should,  by  our  missionaries,  be  admitted  into  the  church  among 
heathen  nations!  So  little  interest  did  they  take  in  the  case,  that 
the  Secretary  assures  us  he  is  profoundly  ignorant  of  the  subse- 
quent disposal  of  the  matter !  For  aught  he  knows  these  two 
cases  came  into  the  church.  He  also  tells  us  that  at  a  meeting  of 
missionaries  in  India,  the  question  was  discussed  whether  con- 
verted heathen  polygamists  should  be  admitted  into  the  church, 
and  the  majority  were  in  favor  of  so  doing.  *  *  *  # 

"Rev.  Mr.  PATTON,  of  Hartford,  remarked  as  follows: — Mr. 
President — My  comparative  youth  would  have  deterred  me  from 
addressing  the  Board  on  the  present  occasion,  were  it  not  that 
one  of  the  memorials  now  under  discussion  was  signed  by  myself 
my  seven  deacons,  and  forty-one  other  male  members  of  my 
church. 

"The  connection  of  the  mission  churches  with  polygamy  is  a 
subject  of  vital  importance,  embracing  fundamental  principles, 
and  requiring  a  thorough  discussion.  It  is  difficult  to  convince  a 
large  part  of  the  community  that  evangelical  missionaries  will 
tolerate  practices  such  as  are  referred  to  in  the  memorial.  It  is 
therefore  with  some  interest  that  I  draw  attention  to  the  fact, 
that  all  the  charges  contained  in  the  memorial,  of  which  I  was  a 
signer,  have  been  fully  admitted,  either  by  the  Secretaries,  or  by 
the  Committee  which  has  just  reported.  They  admit  that  the  mis- 
^ionaries,  after  discussion,  did  conclude  that  the  Bible  furnished 
no  warrant  for  the  exclusion  of  polygamists  from  the  church  of 
Christ.  They  admit  that  the  missionaries  requested  the  Prudential 
2* 


34 

Committee,  at  Boston,  to  express  their  opinion,  or  to  send  their 
direction  on  this  question,  and  that  the  said  Committee  actually 
declined  to  express  an  opinion,  or  to  give  direction  with  regard 
to  this  plain  point  of  morals  !  Furthermore,  it  is  avowed  that  a 
Choctaw  Indian  was  admitted  some  years  ago,  with  two  wives. 
Professor  Stowe  tells  us  of  a  case  among  the  Dacottah  Indians, 
about  two  years  since,  and  as  such  cases  have  occurred,  without 
the  disapprobation  or  interference  of  the  Committee,  they  may 
occur  again.  Mr.  Perkins  has  told  us  that  concubinage  is  allowed 
in  the  West  India  Moravian  missions,  and  I  wish  to  read  an 
extract  from  a  letter,  which  will  show  how  the  same  general  sin 
has  been  tolerated  among  mission  churches  in  Oregon.  Mr. 
Patton  here  read  extracts  from  a  letter  of  Rev.  Mr.  Griffin,  who 
went  out  as  an  independent  missionary,  sustained  by  certain 
churches  in  Litch field  county.  Conn.  Mr.  Griffin  declared  that 
he  found  church  members  living  in  open  fornication,  that  is, 
without  marriage;  that  he  at  first  hoped  privately  to  persuade 
them  to  be  married,  but  not  succeeding,  was  forced  to  preach 
openly  upon  adultery.  This  '  raised  a  storm,'  and  the  people  were 
sustained  in  their  opposition  by  every  Protestant  missionary 
whom  they  consulted  These  missionaries  declared  that  the  time 
had  not  come  to  make  a  stand  against  adultery." 

On  the  other  side  : 

"Dr.  TYLER  said — The  question  is,  shall  we  legislate  for  ex- 
treme cases.  Discuss  this  question  in  any  ecclesiastical  body,  and 
they  wouldn't  agree.  I  wouldn't  say  that  in  all  cases  it  is  wrong. 
Let  the  missionaries  decide  such  cases.  We  too  have  weak  con- 
sciences, as  has  been  said  on  the  other  side.  We  have  as  good  a 
right  to  ask  the  Board  to  say  that  polygamy,  in  extreme  cases,  is 
right,  as  they  have  to  ask  the  Board  to  say  it  is  wrong. 

"Chancellor  WALWORTH  referred  to  the  opening  of  Turkey  to 
the  gospel,  where  polygamy  is  common,  and  said  the  case  might 
arise  there.  In  his  State,  polygamy  was  felony — there  it  was 
lawful.  We  couldn't  decide  it — the  circumstances  of  the  case 
must  decide"it.  The  Board,  should  they  undertake  to  decide  it, 
might  differ. 

«*  Mr.  PERKINS  objected  to  the  adoption  of  the  report.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  in  a  question  of  this  character,  involving  the 
principles  of  the  constitution  of  human  nature,  the  authority  of 
the  fundamental  laws  of  the  social  relation  established  by  God, 
both  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  New,  and  striking  at  the 
foundations  of  human  virtue  and  human  happiness,  the  Board 
ought  to  take  decided  and  unequivocal  ground.  But,  instead  of 
doing  this,  the  report  scarcely  hints  at  disapprobation  of  polyg- 
amy. There  is  no  pledge  given  that  polygamists  may  not  be 


35 

admitted  to  the  mission  churches.  It  is  left  to  the  discretion  of 
missionaries,  some  of  whom  have  decided  that,  in  certain  cases, 
polygamy  is  not  such  a  sin  as  to  constitute  a  bar  to  Christian 
fellowship  " 

Such  were  some  of  the  addresses  on  the  Report.  Similar  argu- 
ments were  made  in  its  favor,  and  by  some  of  the  same  Doctors, 
too,  to  those  urged  in  favor  of  the  Report,  the  previous  year,  on 
slavery. 

The  policy  of  the  Board  is  now  understood.  It  is  to  consult 
the  existing  state  of  things,  the  customs  and  laws  of  the  people, 
and  shape  religion  accordingly.  All  "organic  sins"  are  to  be 
considered  innocent.  It  might  save  expense,  to  just  vote  all  sins 
"  organic,'"  and  thus,  by  the  mere  passage  of  a  resolution,  the 
Board  can  vote  in  the  millenium. 

In  some  countries,  it  is  said  a  law  has  existed  that  all  the  fe- 
males should,  once  in  their  lives,  visit  the  temple  of  lust,  and 
make  a  voluntary  offering  of  their  chastity  to  its  unclean  deity — 
and  priests  were  quartered  in  the  temples  for  this  infernal  sac- 
rament. Let  the  Board  discover  such  an  ordinance  in  some 
island  of  the  sea,  and  Chancellor  Walworth,  with  a  whole  Senate 
of  Doctors  of  Divinity,  have  decided,  and  decreed,  that  it 
would  be  proper  for  church  members  to  submit  to  its  terrible 
authority.  Not  even  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  missionaries 
themselves  might  be  excepted. 

The  question  of  admitting  polygamists  to  the  mission  churches 
was  left,  as  has  already  been  shown,  to  the  missionaries  them- 
selves. They  have  already  decided  that  there  is  no  warrant  in 
Scripture  against  it,  and  have  proceeded  accordingly.  One  of 
them,  who  has  filled  a  very  responsible  station  for  some  years 
in  the  Ahmednugger  mission,  and  whose  literary  attainments  are 
of  the  most  commanding  order,  recently  visited  this  country. 
Just  as  he  was  embarking  to  return  to  the  field  of  his  labors,  he 
published  the  following,  as  his  views  of  the  subject,  in  the  Boston 
Recorder.  It  is  due  to  the  Editors  to  say  that  they  disclaim  the 
implied  doctrine  of  their  correspondent,  in  the  most  becom- 
ing manner.  Only  extracts  of  the  letter  are  given,  but  in  no 
instance  are  the  views  of  the  writer  in  the  least  perverted. 

"MESSRS.  EDITORS: — The  subject  of  polygamy  in  connection 
with  mission  churches  was  made  a  prominent  subject  of  discussion 
at  the  late  meeting  of  the  Ameri  an  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions  at  New  Haven.  The  subject  was  not  finally 
and  satisfactorily  disposed  of.  At  least,  it  was  not  disposed  of  to 
the  satisfaction  of  some  present  at  the  meeting,  and  the  appearance 
is,  that  farther  discussion,  either  in  the  newspapers  or  at  public 


36 

meetings,  will  take  place  during  the  present  year.  It  has  occurred 
to  me,  that  as  I  have  been  for  a  number  of  years  laboring  in  a 
field  where  polygamy  exists  among  the  people,  and  expect  in  a 
few  days  to  embark  on  rny  return  to  that  field,  it  may  not  be  im- 
proper for  me  to  make  a  tew  remarks  on  the  subject. 

"  1.  Polygamy  is  sanctioned  by  both  Hindoo  and  Mahom- 
medan  laws,  which  two  classes  of  people  constitute  the  great  mass 
of  the  population  of  British  India. 

"2.  I  am  not  aware  that  our  mission  has  been  called  upon  to 
act  upon  more  than  a  single  case  of  polygamy,  though  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  general  question  has  considerably  occupied  the 
attention  of  the  missionary  body  in  that  part  of  India.  The  case 
was  that  of  a  man  who  presented  himself  for  admission  to  the 
church,  having  two  wives.  The  first,  besides  being  childless, 
was  almost  or  quite  an  idiot.  According  to  custom  and  law  he 
had  contracted  a  relation  with  another  woman,  by  whom  he  had 
children,  and  for  whom  he  appeared  to  have  true  affection.  In 
his  examination  in  regard  to  qualifications  for  church  member- 
ship, he  appeared  well — but  he  had  two  wives,  and  the  mission 
refused  him  baptism,  unless  he  would  put  away  the  woman  last 
married.  After  lingering  around  for  some  months,  he  went 
away,  I  know  not  where.  Perhaps  it  should  be  stated,  that  the 
second  marriage  in  this  case  was  of  a  kind  regarded,  I  believe, 
as  of  a  lower  order  :  still  it  was  a  legal  and  acknowledged  relation, 
constituting  the  parties  husband  and  wife. 

"  3.  I  wish  to  ask  those  who  take  a  deep  interest  in  our  labors 
and  sympathize  with  us  in  our  difficulties,  on  what  scriptural  au- 
thority the  mission  can  be  justified  for  the  course  taken  in  regard 
to  the  individual  above  alluded  to.  It  is  our  design  to  make  the 
Bible  the  rule  of  faith,  and  we  have  been  so  particular  and  guard- 
ed in  our  instructions  on  this  point,  that  we  are  liable  to  be  puz- 
zled and  embarrassed  whenever  we  deviate  from  the  rule. 

"  4.  Is  it  not  evident  from  Paul's  instructions  respecting  the 
qualifications  of  a  bishop,  viz.,  that  he  'should  be  the  husband  of 
one  wife,'  that  polygamy  was  permitted  in  the  primitive  church, 
under  the  apostles,  and  that  too  in  circumstances  precisely  similar 
to  those  in  which  churches  are  gathered  among  the  heathen  at 
the  present  day  ?  If  so,  why  should  a  different  standard  be  set  up 
than  that  set  up  by  the  apostles  ?  We  want  light. 

"  Yours,  &c.  E.  BURGESS." 

A  few  years  ago,  some  of  the  Sandwich  Island  Missionaries, 
growing  sick  of  the  hypocrisy  of  sending  a  slave-holding,  and, 
in  other  respects,  corrupt  religion  to  the  heathen,  formed  an  anti- 
slavery  society,  and  published  a  tract  containing  a  most  searching 
and  powerful  appeal  to  the  Board,  and  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  on  the  subject.  For  some  reason,  it  was  never  circulated 


37 

in  this  country,  and  in  1837  the  Board  adopted  the  following 
rule,  virtually  prohibiting  any  repetition  of  an  act  so  dangerous 
to  its  reputation. 

"No  Mission,  or  member  of  a  Mission,  may  print  any  letter, 
tract,  or  appeal,  at  the  printing  establishments,  at  the  expense  of 
the  Board,  with  a  view  to  its  being  sent  to  individuals  or  com- 
munities in  the  United  States." 

One  of  the  Board's  Missionaries  writes  thus  to  his  friends : 

"The  missionaries  are  prohibited  writing  any  thing  home  on 
the  subject  of  slavery.  It  is  very  true  it  does  not  appear  to  be  so 
much  our  business  as  if  we  were  at  home;  but  when  we  have 
the  scandal,  sin,  and  shame  of  our  country's  inconsistent  practice 
in  this  matter  cast  in  our  teeth  upon  all  public  occasions  by  the 
European  residents  in  India,  we  cannot  forget  that  slavery  exists 
in  the  home  of  freemen.  And  so  lung  as  the  cry  of  the  'mourn- 
ful prisoners  '  from  Africa  ascends  to  the  Lord  of  Snbaoth,  it  will 
not  be  forgotten  in  heaven.  A  weekly  paper,  published  at  Ser- 
ampore,  comes  to  our  bungalow,  which  contains  every  week  some- 
thing on  the  subject  of  American  slavery.  Why  !  they  laugh  at 
the  idea  of  calling  our  government  a  free  one. 

"I  have  indeed  left  my  own  land,  perhaps  for  ever,  but  does  it 
therefore  follow  that  I  must  take  no  more  interest  in  her  ?  What ! 
forget  the  land  of  my  birth!  the  home  of  my  childhood!  No. 
As  soon  might  my  right  hand  forget  her  cunning.  With  all  her 
faults,  she  is  my  country  still,  and  still  is  dear  to  my  heart.  I 
wish,  I  pray,  on  this  very  account,  that  the  'foul  stain  of  slavery  ' 
may  be  effaced  from  her  otherwise  fair  escutcheon." 

Another,  a  missionary  of  the  Baptist  Board  : 

"  MERGUI,  Oct.  27,  1846. 

"  MESSRS.  EDITORS  :— Will  you,  or  some  of  your  valuable  corre- 
spondents, tell  me  how  to  meet  the  following  objection,  which  I 
have  to  meet  wherever  I  go  among  the  wild  Karens?  "If  we 
become  disciples,  when  you  get  a  large  number  of  us  you  intend 
to  entice  us  away  and  make  slaves  of  us  in  jrour  own  country." 
This  objection  is  often  urged  with  as  much  seriousness  and  confi- 
dence as  though  they  were  actually  acquainted  with  the  system 
of  American  slavery.  Did  these  ignorant  but  slave- hating 
heathens  but  know  the  slaveholding  character  of  the  American 
churches,  would  they  not  say  to  our  faces,  '  Go  back,  thou  hypo- 
crite— go  back,  and  teach  the  heathen  of  your  own  country,  and 
give  them  the  Bible,  before  you  come  here  to  impose  upon  us.'  I 
am  fully  pursuaded,  that  did  they  know  it,  this  would  in  sub- 
stance be  the  language  of  many  a  wild  Karen. 


38 

"Willno*  the  Karens  become  acquainted  with  the  history  of 
American  slavery  ?  I  see  not  how  it  can  possibly  be  avoided. 

"Some  of  their  young  men  are  learning  our  language;  becoming 
acquainted  with  our  books,  papers,  &c.  And  when  they  once 
begin  to  get  the  idea,  they  will  not  cease  their  importunities  until 
they  know  its  history.  And  when  it  is  once  known,  it  will  spread 
like  the  wild-tire  among  the  people.  Some  time  since,  I  noticed 
in  a  public  paper  the  following  remark,  as  coming  from  Bro. 
Kincaid:  'If  the  heathen  were  aware  of  the  slaveholding  char- 
acter of  our  churches  by  whom  the  missionaries  are  sent  out,  the 
usefulness  of  the  missionaries  would  be  at  an  end.'  Now  I  should 
not  be  willing  to  go  quite  so  far  as  this,  and  say  that  their  useful- 
ness would  be  at  an  end.  But  I  most  sincerely  believe  that  the 
strength  of  the  missionary's  arm  would  be  sadly  paralyzed. 

"D.  S.  BRAYTON." 

The  anniversary  of  the  American  Board  for  1847  was  held 
at  Buffalo,  in  New  York,  in  September.  The  surface  of  its 
proceedings  was  scarcely  agitated  by  action  or  discussion  on  the 
subject  of  slavery.  The  following  extracts  from  the  Proceedings, 
as  reported  for  the  New  England  Puritan,  and  published  under  the 
head  of  "  editorial  correspondence,"  unfold  the  present  tone  of 
feeling  in  that  body  : 

"  Chancellor  WALWORTH,  of  the  Committee  on  the  Connexion 
of  the  Indian  missions  with  slavery,  recommended,  in  con- 
sideration of  the  absence  of  Mr.  Greene,  who  had  the  chief  over- 
sight of  those  missions,  that  no  action  be  taken  upon  this  subject 
at  this  meeting.  It  was  proposed  that  Mr.  Greene  should  visit 
these  missions  during  the  coming  year,  and  thus  the  way  would 
be  prepared  for  more  intelligent  action  at  the  next  annual  meeting. 

"  Dr.  BLANCHARD  liked  this  report  in  the  main,  but  preferred 
that  instead  of  Mr.  Greene's  visit  being  left  any  wise  uncertain, 
the  community  should  be  assured  that  it  would  take  place  ;  and 
thus  the  subject,  so  to  speak,  would  be  'in  process  of  liquidation.' 
Thus,  as  it  should  be  brought  before  the  community  in  the  inter- 
val, it  would  give  more  general  satisfaction.  He  therefore  recom- 
mended that  the  Prudential  Committee  should  be  instructed,  if 
Mr.  Greene  could  not  go,  to  send  some  one  else. 

"Dr.  ANDERSON  thought  Mr.  Greene  would  go,  and  that  the 
Prudential  Committee  would  take  thorough  measures  ;  that  any 
committee  sent  to  that  or  any  other  mission,  without  the  presence 
of  one  intimately  concerned  with  the  management  of  missionary 
affairs,  would  accomplish  but  very  little. 

"  While  up,  in  behalf  of  himself  and  the  other  Secretaries,  he 
wished  to  read  the  following  paper  : 


39 

" '  The  Secretaries  have  every  possible  disposition  to  exert  them- 
selves to  the  extent  of  their  ability  to  eradicate  slavery,  as  well  as 
every  other  evil  and  sin,  from  the  mission  churches  ;  but  they  ask 
for  the  confidence  of  their  patrons  in  this  matter,. as  well  as  in 
every  other,  until  there  is  reason  to  think  the  confidence  has  been 
abused  ;  and  not  to  be  expected  or  required  to  secure  results  as  the 
effect  of  purely  moral  means,  without  allowing  a  reasonable  time 
for  the  securing  of  those  results.' 

"  The  report  was  adopted,  that  no  action  be  taken  on  the  subject 
at  the  present  meeting." 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  most  conspicuous  members 
and  supporters  of  the  American  Board  are  the  Congregational 
Ministers  and  Churches  of  New  England,  and  the  other  free 
States.  It  should  also  be  remembered,  that  this  denomination 
is  really  one  and  the  same  with  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Their  ministers  are  educated  at  each 
other's  Seminaries,  and  are  settled  over  each  other's  churches, 
and  their  members  are  dismissed  and  recommended  interchange- 
ably, and  they  all  unite  in  Councils,  Associations,  Ordinations, 
Installations,  and  Dedications,  as  though  there  was  but  one  de- 
nomination. So  that  all  which  has  been  exhibited  relative  to  the 
character  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners,  applies  equally  to  the  denomination  of  Orthodox 
Congregationalists. 

There  is  one  consideration,  however,  that  should  here  receive 
a  passing  notice.  Some  local  Associations  of  Congregationalists 
have  formerly,  in  accordance  with  the  advance  of  public  opinion, 
contemplated  some  action  that  should  be  a  rebuke  of  the  General 
Assembly,  many  of  whose  Missionaries  and  members  are  owners 
of  slaves. 

Two  incidents  will  be  sufficient  to  show  with  what  sincerity 
and  earnestness  this  action  was  to  be  pursued.  A  few  years  ago, 
the  Essex  Co.  North  Association,  in  Massachusetts,  sent  a  letter 
of  remonstrance  and  friendly  counsel  to  a  large  Presbytery  in  North 
Carolina.  It  was  signed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dimick  of  Newbury- 
port,  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Association,  and  forwarded  in  be- 
half of  the  body.  It  was  opened  in  the  Presbytery,  and  as  soon 
as  its  contents  were  known,  "  on  motion  of  Rev.  Dr.  Post,  it 
was  voted  unanimously  NOT  TO  RECEIVE  IT!  ! "  It  was  immedi- 
ately sent  back  to  the  body  from  whence  it  emanated,  with  a 
letter  of  a  most  unbecoming  character,  in  which  the  body  was 
informed  that  the  churches  were  not  to  be  dictated  to  in  any 
way  on  the  subject  of  holding  slaves.  The  result  was,  the 
Northern  church  was  silenced,  the  South  held  on  to  its  slaves, 
and  Christian  fellowship  goes  on  as  before. 


40 

A  letter  from  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Curtis,  an  influential  clergy- 
man of  New  Hampshire,  that  appeared  in  the  Congregational 
Journal  in  July,  1843,  unfolds  the  kind  of  separation  contem- 
plated by  these  local  Congregational  associations,  when  they  pro- 
pose to  sever  their  connection  with  the  General  Assembly.  The 
following  is  an  extract : 

"  My  advice  was,  to  dissolve  all  connection  with  the  General 
Assembly,  as  a  body,  while  they,  as  a  body,  sanction  slavery.  I 
do  not  perceive  that  such  a  measure  need  at  all  decide  the  ques- 
tion, or  make  it  doubtful,  whether  individual  Congregational 
and  Presbyterian  Churches  should  continue  in  the  kindest  fellow- 
ship towards  one  another,  when  neither  professes  any  sympathy 
for  slavery.  Let  the  individual  fellowship  of  the  churches  be  left 
to  their  own  regulation,  as  it  must  be  left." 

This  is  the  kind  of  excision.  Cut  off  the  General  Assembly, 
"as  such,1'  but  retain  fellowship  with  the  churches  composing  it. 
A  singular  operation  in  spiritual  surgery. 

But  even  this  action  has  never  been  taken.  The  fellowship  of 
both  denominations  remains  as  it  has  been  for  more  than  a  cen- 
tury. And  at  the  meting  of  the  New  Hampshire  Association,  in 
1846,  two  of  its  most  anti-slavery  clergymen  (if  there  is  any  differ- 
ence) were  appointed  charge  de  affaires  to  the  courts  of  the 
General  Assembly,  both  Old  School  and  New. 

THE   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

The  position  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  the  country,  relative  to 
slavery,  is  precisely  like  that  of  those  sects  already  considered. 
Its  Missionary  and  other  associate  operations  reveal  its  charac- 
ter. 

In  1841,  its  national  foreign  Missionary  organization  met,  and 
by  appointment  a  slave-owner  presided,  another  performed  the 
devotions,  and  a  third  preached  the  sermon.  One  of  the  Board 
of  Managers,  Rev.  Elon  Galusha,  of  New  York,  was  removed 
from  the  Board  for  being  a  friend  of  the  enslaved,  and  for  no 
other  reason,  so  it  was  avowed,  and  a  slaveholder  filled  his  place. 

All  the  proceedings  were  similar  in  character.  The  session 
closed  with  the  administration  of  the  sacrament,  and  singing  the 
Psalm, 

"  Lo  !  what  an  entertaining  sight 
Are  brethren  who  agree." 

A  writer  in  the  Biblical  Recorder  and  Southern  Watchman 
thus  speaks  of  the  Convention  : 


41 

"Our  meeting  was  truly  delightful.  The  spirit  of  the  gospel 
prevailed,  and  gave  a  tremendous  shock  to  the  abolitionists.  Let 
us  be  thankful  to  God,  and  give  him  the  glory.  And  now,  if  we 
of  the  South,  and  they  of  the  North,  whose  sympathies  are  with 
us,  shall  be  mild,  I  am  satisfied  that  abolitionism  will  go  down 
among  Baptists.  All  our  'principal  men'  are  sound  to  the  core 
on  this  vexed  question. 

"The  Triennial  Convention  exhibited  a  noble  spectacle  of 
moral  grandeur.  About  250  men  from  the  various  parts  of  our 
extended  country  were  engaged  in  a  long  and  arduous  session, 
under  circumstances  that  tried  the  temper  and  put  into  requisi- 
tion all  the  intellectual  energy  which  they  possessed.  And  all 
this  in  connection  with  a  most  exciting  subject.  And  yet,  self- 
possession,  calmness,  the  Christian  spirit,  predominated  through- 
out the  whole  scene.  No  tumult,  no  angry  feeling,  no  harsh  ex- 
pression, had  place  in  our  deliberations  and  conclusions.  At  the 
Communion  Board  on  Lord's  Day,  the  scene  was  overwhelming. 
In  view  of  the  cross,  the  hundreds  that  participated  were  all  one. 
No  test,  other  than  that  of  our  dear  Lord's  requirement,  was 
thought  of.  To  God  be  all  the  glory,  Amen  and  Amen." 

Some  dissatisfaction  arose  among  the  non  "principal men"  of 
the  Convention,  that  resulted  in  the  subsequent  formation  of  a 
separate,  though  very  limited,  association,  slavery  being  the  pre- 
tended cause  of  the  difficulty.  It  was  contended  that  the  gifts 
of  slaveholders  ought  not  to  be  mingled  with  the  Northern  con- 
tributions in  the  Missionary  treasury.  Moneys  were  raised  by 
the  new  Board,  and,  as  they  affirmed,  the  gifts  were  not  to  be 
stained  by  contact  with  the  avails  of  slavery. 

But  the  extent  of  principle  and  height  of  integrity  of  this  new 
and  sublimated  movement  was  seen  in  the  fact  that  when,  just 
afterwards,  the  old  Board  sustained  a  loss  by  a  failure  in  India, 
there  was  an  immediate  appropriation  of  five  hundred  dollars 
voted  to  it,  with  all  its  slavery,  out  of  this  purified  treasury. 

The  following  is  the  official  record  of  the  proceedings  : 

"Whereas,  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  have  recently  sustained  a 
heavy  loss  by  the  failure  of  their  banker  at  Calcutta,  and  thus 
appropriated  supplies  are  cut  off  from  the  missionaries  in  Asia: 
therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  the  Treasurer  of  this  Committee  be  instructed  to 
forward,  as  soon  as  possible,  five  hundred  dollars  from  funds  now 
in  the  Treasury,  to  the  relief  of  the  missionaries,  '  to  be  expended 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Judson  and  Mr.  Vinton.' 

"  Signed — S.  G.  SHIPLEY,  Chairman. 

"  C.  W.  DENNISON,  Secretary." 


42 

This  new  association  no  longer  exists. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  old  Society,  the  proceedings  (and 
all  were  there  of  both  organizations)  were  most  unanimous. 
Harmony  generally  prevailed,  or  at  any  rate  was  restored.  The 
President,  a  slaveholder  from  North  Carolina,  declined  a  reelec- 
tion, on  the  ground  that,  as  for  more  than  thirty  years  the  chief 
officer  had  been  selected  from  the  slave  states,  it  was  time  the 
boon  should  be  conferred  on  the  North.  Accordingly,  the  Rer. 
Dr.  Wayland,  of  Providence,  on  the  second  balloting,  was  elected 
to  that  office. 

The  subject  of  slavery  was  introduced,  and  disposed  of  by  the 
passage  of  the  following  resolution,  ONLY  TWO  voting  in  the  neg- 
ative, in  May,  1844. 

"Resolved,  That  in  co-operating  together  as  members  of  this 
convention  in  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions,  we  disclaim  all 
sanction,  either  express  or  implied,  of  slavery,  or  anti-slavery, — 
but  as  individuals,  we  are  free  to  express  and  promote  our  views 
on  this,  or  other  subjects,  in  a  Christian  manner  and  spirit." 

Another  clergyman,  Rev.  Mr.  Davis,  of  New  York,  then  re- 
marked, with  great  exultation,  that  the  Convention  had  passed  a 
stupendous  crisis,  and  moved  a  season  of  devotional  exercises. 
The  season  was  voted,  a  Northern  minister,  Mr.  Webb,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, gave  thanks,  and  they  closed  with  singing  the  Doxol- 
ogy,  by  the  congregation, 

"  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

In  view  of  the  passage  of  the  above  Resolution,  the  Editor  of 
the  Christian  Reflector,  a  professedly  anti-slavery  journal,  most 
complacently  remarked : 

"It  will  be  seen  by  the  passage  of  the  Resolution  on  Friday, 
that  we  are  no  longer  required  to  fellowship  slavery,  or  slave- 
holders, as  such,  in  the  work  of  Missions." 

Indeed!  and  what  had  this  resolution  done  to  change  their 
former  relation  ?  Not  one  particle  of  change  has  transpired  in 
the  action  of  the  body,  and  yet  all  animosities  and  contentions 
about  slavery  are  forgotten,  and  to  this  hour  the  character  and 
action  of  the  Board  remain  as  before. 

In  1846  a  new  association  was  incorporated,  under  the  name  of 
"  The  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union."  The  first  article  of 
the  Constitution  designates  the  name,  the  second  the  objects  of 


43 

the  society.  The  third  provides  that  " persons"  without  refer- 
ence to  place,  "may  be  Life  Members,  by  the  payment  at  one 
time  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  dollars."  The  twenty-first 
article  declares,  that  the  Officers  and  Missionaries  of  the  associ- 
ation "shall  be  members  in  good  standing  of  regular  Baptist 
Churches.'''' 

It  has  been  contended  that  this  association  was  formed  with 
particular  reference  to  a  separation  from  slavery.  I  have  been 
so  informed  by  an  officer  of  the  Board.  But  there  is  no  such 
intimation,  either  in  the  Act  of  Incorporation,  or  the  Constitu- 
tion. Among  the  Life  Members  are  persons  from  Missouri, 
Mississippi,  Delaware,  and  Georgia;  and  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Managers  was  organized  by  the  choice  of  a  President 
from  a  free,  and  a  Secretary  from  a  slave,  state.  The  first  meet- 
ing of  the  Union  was  opened  with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Colver,  of  Boston.  All  the  foregoing  proceedings,  and  others, 
are  appended  to  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Old  Baptist  Conven- 
tion for  1846. 

In  1844,  a  most  important  correspondence  was  carried  on  for 
some  time  between  the  Rev.  Dr.  Fuller,  of  South  Carolina,  and 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Wayland,  President  of  Brown  University,  in  Prov- 
idence, Rhode  Island, — on  this  question  : 

"  Is  the  holding  of  slaves  always  and  everywhere  a  sin  ?  " 

Dr.  Wayland  professes  to  discuss  the  affirmative  of  the  ques- 
tion. His  last  letter,  revised  and  corrected  by  himself,  contains 
this  passage,  page  230  : 

"  The  more  frequently  I  have  read  your  letters,  the  more 
deeply  have  I  been  impressed  with  the  coincidence  of  opinion  that 
exists  between  us.  The  reasonings  which  we  employ  are  dissimi- 
lar. We  arrive  at  our  conclusions  by  different  trains  of  argu- 
ment, BUT  the  conclusion  seems  to  me  almost  precisely  the  same. 
From  your  reasons  I  often  dissent,  and  sometimes  dissent  totally  ; 
but  in  the  results  to  which  you  are  led,  I  perceive  but  little  to 
which  I  can  object.  The  proposition  which  you  prove,  and  to 
which,  as  you  repeatedly  assert,  you  strictly  confine  yourself,  is 
this — to  be  the  holder  of  slaves  is  not  always  and  everywhere  a 
sin  ;  and  hence  you  infer  that  the  simple  holding  men  in  bondage 
ought  not  to  be  a  ground  of  ecclesiastical  excommunication. 
Now,  if  you  refer  to  my  third  letter,  you  will  find  all  this  re- 
peatedly and  explicitly  asserted.  This  you  say  is  the  whole  mat- 
ter that  you  intend  to  discuss.  As,  therefore,  I  had  affirmed  the 
same  truth  (/),  and  you  disclaim  the  affirmation  of  anything 
else,  it  is  not  remarkable  that  our  conclusions  should  be  really 

IDENTICAL." 


44 

The  same  letter  commences  thus  : 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — It  is  needless  to  assure  you  that  I 
have  read  your  letters  in  reply  to  mine,  on  domestic  slavery,  with 
profound  attention  and  unfeigned  admiration.  To  the  acuteness 
of  one  profession,  and  the  learning  of  another,  in  both  of  which 
you  have  attained  to  the  highest  distinction,  you  have  here  added  a 
fervor  of  eloquence  and  a  richness  of  illustration  peculiarly  your 
own.  Never  before,  I  presume,  has  the  defence  of  slavery,  on 
Christian  principles,  been  so  ably  conducted.  Never  before,  I 
think,  has  anything  been  written  so  admirably  calculated  to 
make  a  favorable  impression  on  those  who  hold  the  opposite  opin- 
ions. Nor  is  the  singular  ability  displayed  in  this  discussion  by 
any  means  its  highest  recommendation.  The  warm  spirit  of  phi- 
lanthropy which  pervades  every  part  of  your  argument,  must 
melt  away  every  prejudice  by  which  it  could  be  resisted  ;  while 
the  love  to  God  and  the  reverence  for  His  word,  which  are  every- 
where so  apparent,  must,  I  am  sure,  give  you  a  place  in  the  affec- 
tions of  every  true  disciple  of  our  common  Lord.  If  slavery  can- 
not be  defended  by  such  an  advocate,  I  shall  believe  the  defence 
of  it  must  be  hopeless." 

Who  can  avoid  exclaiming,  in  view  of  this  discussion,  as  the 
Northern  and  Southern  Baptist  churches  have  so  often  sung 
when  together, — 

11  Lo!  what  an  entertaining  sight 
Are  brethren  who  agree  !  " 

Parodize  the  latter  extract,  only  changing  the  name  of  the 
subject,  and  it  reads  thus  : 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — It  is  needless  to  assure  you  that  I  have 
read  your  letters  in  reply  to  mine  [in  favor  of  adultery],  with 
profound  attention  and  unfeigned  admiration.  To  the  acuteness 
of  one  profession,  and  the  learning  of  another,  in  both  of  which 
you  have  attained  to  the  highest  distinction,  you  have  here  added  a 
fervor  of  eloquence  and  a  richness  of  illustration  peculiarly  vour 
own.  Never  before,  I  presume,  has  the  defence  of  [adultery,]  on 
Christian  principles,  been  so  ably  conducted.  Never  before,  I 
think,  has  any  thing  been  written  so  admirably  calculated  to 
make  a  favorable  impression  on  those  who  hold  the  opposite 
opinions  [i.  e.,  who  hold  that  adultery,  under  all  circumstances, 
is  sinful].  Nor  is  the  singular  ability  displayed  in  this  discus- 
sion by  any  means  its  highest  recommendation.  The  warm 
spirit  of  philanthropy  which  pervades  your  [adulterous]  argu- 


45 

ment,  must  melt  away  every  prejudice  by  which  it  could  be  re- 
sisted ;  while  the  love  to  G-od  and  the  reverence  for  His  word, 
which  are  everywhere  so  apparent  [in  your  Scriptural  defence  of 
adultery],  must,  I  am  sure,  give  you  a  place  in  the  affections  of 
every  true  disciple  of  our  common  Lord."  (///). 

In  1841,  Rev.  Jonathan  Davis,  a  Baptist  clergyman  from 
Georgia,  visited  the  Northern  states.  Boasting  that  he  was  the 
owner  of  thirty  human  beings,  and  that  he  would  wade  knee 
deep  in  blood  to  defend  his  right  to  hold  them,  still  he  was 
everywhere  received  by  the  Northern  Baptist,  and  many  other 
churches,  with  ineffable  delight.  The  following  extracts  from 
his  correspondence  with  his  friends  at  home  are  most  painfully 
just  and  true. 

In  a  letter  dated  Boston,  May  23d,  1841,  he  says : 

"  It  is  proper  for  me  to  state  that  the  mass  of  our  brethren, 
both  in  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  are  opposed  to  abolition,  as 
now  understood  by  that  term,  and  are  for  no  other  measure  than 
colonization.  This  class,  which  constitutes  a  very  large  majori- 
ty, are  kind-hearted,  and  always  take  the  part  of  the  South,  when 
they  come  in  contact  with  the  laws  of  the  land,  or  the  peace  of 
the  South.  They  have  treated  me  with  a  great  deal  of  politeness 
and  kindness  ;  they  take  me  freely  by  the  hand,  and  press  me  in- 
to houses  and  pulpits.  A  more  kind-hearted  and  Christian  min- 
istry I  have  never  been  amidst,  nor  do  I  believe  there  is  one  more 
so,  under  the  canopy  of  heaven.  This  has  been  the  week  of  their 
anniversaries  here,  and  I  suppose  there  has  not  been  less  than  a 
hundred  and  fifty  Baptist  ministers,  old  and  young;  and  what  I 
rejoiced  to  find  was,  that  the  abolitionists  among  them  were  a 
small  minority.  *  *  I  was  invited  on  every  hand  to  pulpits, 
and  am  even  entreated  to  deliver  addresses  on  this  particular  sub- 
ject, in  various  parts  of  the  country." 

One  other  letter,  dated  Philadelphia,  June  22,  1841. 

"  If  I  recollect  correctly,  I  wrote  you  from  Boston,  giving  you 
an  account  of  my  tour  over  into  Maine,  and  my  discussion  on  ab- 
olition in  Portland.  Since  then,  I  proceeded,  at  the  request  of 
Professor  Maginnis  and  others,  to  Hamilton,  where,  at  their  re- 
quest, I  delivered  an  address  on  slavery  as  it  is  in  the  South.  A 
debate  ensued,  which  lasted  nearly  two  days  and  nights.  *  * 
The  contest  was  warm,  and  they  thought  certainly  the}7  would 
get  the  voice  of  the  people  against  me — especially  as  I  was  found 
to  be  quite  sick.  But  with  all  the  advantages  over  me,  and  even 
in  the  hot  bed  of  abolition,  the  voice  of  the  people,  at  the  close, 
was  evidently  in  my  favor.  *  *  *  *  *  * 


46 

"  I  shall  forever  remember,  with  grateful  feelings,  the  kind 
treatment  I  received  from  the  Professors  of  the  Baptist  Theologi- 
cal College,  especially  from  Prof.  Maginnis.  All  the  pupils  at- 
tended the  discussion,  and  I  think  much  good  will  be  the  result 
of  the  discussion,  even  among  the  students. 

"  From  Hamilton,  I  proceeded  to  Utica.  There  they  pitted  a 
Mr.  Goodell  against  me,  and  the  discussion  commenced  under  the 
direction  of  a  president,  two  vice-presidents,  and  two  secretaries. 
Mr.  Goodell  and  myself  had  two  turns  each,  when  his  friends 
thought  best  to  take  him  off  the  turf,  and  bring  on  the  Kev.  Dr. 
Green,  the  President  of  the  Oneida  Institute,  the  Abolition  Col- 
lege. He  gave  me  one  strong  pull,  and  I  replied  to  him  at 
length,  and  he  retired,  leaving  the  field  in  my  hands,  and  I 
closed  under  the  resounding  applause  of  almost  the  entire  au- 
dience. . 

"I  have  now  met  all  the  able  debaters  and  lecturers  in  New 
England  and  New  York,  except  one  Gerritt  Smith,  of  whom  I 
have  heard  much.  He  was  sent  for  to  meet  me,  but  did  not  come. 
Whether  it  was  for  fear  he  would  share  the  fate  of  the  others,  I 
cannot  tell.  I  am  now  on  my  way  home,  leaving  the  hot  beds 
of  abolition  without  having  been  once  foiled.  God  be  praised 
for  sustaining  me.  I  give  him  all  the  glory,  for  without  him  1 
am  nothing." 

This  is  the  Baptist  church  of  the  United  States.  Judged  out 
of  its  own  mouth,  must  it  not  be  condemned  ?  Could  the  world 
be  delivered  from  a  greater  burden?  Almost  a  million  of  mem- 
bers compose  it,  a  hundred  thousand  of  whom  are  slaves,  and 
many  of  them  slaves  of  the  ministers  and  other  members  of  the 
churches.  A  cloud  of  farther  testimony  could  be  adduced 
against  it,  but  a  voice  from  the  dead,  or  from  heaven,  would  be 
in  vain  to  those  who  shall  still  adhere  to  it,  after  what  has  al- 
ready been  exhibited. 

THE   METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH. 

A  few  facts  will  suffice  to  unfold  the  character  of  this  most 
formidable  body.  Its  early  position  on  the  subject  of  slavery 
has  already  been  given. 

In  1785 'the  following  was  held  : 

"  We  do  hold  in  the  deepest  abhorrence  the  practice  of  slavery, 
and  shall  not  cease  to  seek  its  destruction  by  all  wise  and  prudent 
means." 

In  1801,  the  body  declared ; 


47 

"  "We  are  more  than  ever  convinced  of  the  great  evil  of  African 
Slavery,  which  still  exists  in  these  United  States.  Every  mem- 
ber of  the  society  who  sells  a  slave  shall  immediately,  after  full 
proof,  be  excluded." 

And  the  Board  of  discipline  expressly  declared  that  every 
'*  buyer,  seller,  or  holder"  of  slaves,  after  due  admonition,  shall 
be  unconditionally  excommunicated. 

But  in  1836,  with  all  these  strong  declarations  registered,  as 
the  solemn  canons  of  the  church,  the  General  Conference  voted 
the  following  .Resolutions,  almost  unanimously  : 

"  1.  Resolved,  by  the  delegates  of  the  Annual  Conference  in 
General  Conference  assembled,  That  they  disapprove  in  the  most 
unqualified  sense,  the  conduct  of  the  two  members  of  the  General 
Conference,  who  are  reported  to  have  lectured  in  this  city  re- 
cently, upon,  and  in  favor  of,  modern  abolitionism. 

"Resolved,  by  the  delegates  of  the  Annual  Conference  in  Gen- 
eral Conference  assembled,  That  they  are  decidedly  opposed  to 
modern  abolitionism,  and  wholly  disclaim  any  right,  wish,  or 
intention,  to  interfere  in  the  civil  and  political  relation  between 
master  and  slave,  as  it  exists  in  the  slave-holding  States  of  this 
Union." 

Thus,  by  a  vote  of  120  to  14,  the  Conference  solemnly  de- 
clared they  had  "  no  wish  or  intention,"  to  fulfil  what  they  have 
so  often  declared  to  the  world  was  a  most  important  part  of  their 
covenant  vows.  If  more  unblushing  deception  and  hypocrisy 
can  be  found,  it  is  yet  to  be  revealed  to  the  world. 

In  1840,  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Conference,  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted,  on  motion  of  Kev.  Dr.  Few,  of  Geor- 
gia :— 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  inexpedient  and  unjustifiable  for  any 
preacher  to  permitcolored  persons  to  give  testimony  against  white 
persons,  in  any  State  where  they  are  denied  that  privilege  by 
law." 

More  than  80,000  persons  were  at  this  time  in  the  Methodist 
Church,  who,  by  this  most  diabolical  act,  were  deprived  of  the 
right  to  testify  against  any  white  offender  whatsoever. 

A  division  has  at  length  taken  place  in  this  mighty  engine  for 
good  or  evil.  But  the  very  separation  reveals  more  clearly  the 
depravity  it  was  designed  to  conceal.  Northern  Methodist  min- 
isters have  gravely  told  their  people  it  was  made  by  the  seces- 
sion of  the  North  from  the  South.  This  is  a  falsehood,  by 
whomsoever  told. 


48 

Again,  they  have  said  the  separation  was  on  the  line  between 
the  free  and  slave  States.  This,  too,  is  most  wickedly  false,  as 
will  be  fully  shown.  The  Northern  division  has  in  it  more  than 
4,000  slave-holders,  and  almost  30,000  slaves. 

But  the  real  fact  in  the  case  is,  there  is  no  separation  between 
the  North  and  South,  and  never  has  been.  The  following,  from 
the  Proceedings  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  Southern  Conference, 
would  be  sufficient  to  show  this,  were  there  not  other  more 
startling  testimony : 

"After  the  formal  adjournment  on  Monday,  Bishop  Soule  re- 
quested the  members  to  tarry  a  few  minutes.  Dr.  Winans  then 
read  an  expression  of  his  feelings  and  that  of  many  of  his  breth- 
ren, who  had  passed  through  the  bounds  of  a  portion  of  the 
'  Northern  church,'  for  the  very  kind  and  affectionate  treatment 
they  had  received  from  their  Northern  brethren  on  their  way  to 
this  city.  It  expresses  the  hope  that,  although  a  separation  has 
taken  place,  whenever  a  Southern  brother,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  shall  be  called  to  visit  a  Northern  city,  or  place,  where 
there  is  a  Methodist  pulpit,  he  may  find  it  open  to  his  ministry, 
and  assuring  the  Northern  brethren  that  the  like  Christian  cour- 
tesy shall  always  be  extended  to  them.  The  document  was  unan- 
imously adopted,  and  ordered  to  be  signed  by  a  committee  of  the 
Conference." 

In  1846,  one  of  the  very  largest  Northern  Conferences  (the 
Baltimore)  passed  the  following  Resolution  : 

"Resolved,  That  this  Conference  disclaims  having  any  fellow- 
ship with  abolitionism.  On  the  contrary,  while  it  is  determined 
to  maintain  its  well-known  and  long-established  position,  by 
keeping  the  traveling  preachers  composing  its  own  body  free  from 
slavery,  it  is  also  determined  not  to  hold  connection  with  any 
ecclesiastical  body  that  shall  make  non-slaveholding  a  condition 
of  membership  in  the  church  ;  but  to  stand  by  and  maintain  the 
discipline  as  it  is." 

And  the  Rhode  Island  Conference  echoed  the  Resolution  after 
this  sort : 

"Resolved,  by  the  Providence  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  Conference  assembled,  That  while  we  regret 
certain  allusions  in  theresolutionsof  the  late  Baltimore  Conference, 
we  nevertheless  consider  the  position  assumed  by  that  body  in  re- 
lation to  slavery,  especially  as  defined  in  its  Pastoral  Address,  as 
exceedingly  judicious,  and  the  beat  for  the  church  and  the  slave, 
possible,  under  existing  circumstances." 


49 

The  extracts  below  are  from  the  "Address  of  the  Philadelphia 
Annual  Conference,  to  the  Societies  under  its  care,  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Northampton  and  Accomac  Circuits." 

"  Whereas,  the  Discipline  says,  '  Virginia  Conference  shall  be 
bounded  on  the  east  by  Chesapeake  Bay  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean  ;' 
and  4  Philadelphia  Conference  shall  include  the  Eastern  Shore  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia' — the  Chesapeake  Bay,  an  arm  of  the 
ocean  being  between  them,  therefore  resolved,  That  in  our  ad- 
ministration we  will  regard  the  '  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  and 
Virginia'  as  not  being  '  border'  work  in  the  sense  of  the  'Plan 
of  Separation.' 

"  We  cannot,  therefore,  but  regard  all  the  Methodist  Societies 
within  the  Peninsula  as  under  our  pastoral  jurisdiction,  according 
to  the  provisions  of  the  plan  of  separation. 

"  If  the  plan  of  separation  gives  us  the  pastoral  care  of  you,  it 
remains  to  inquire  whether  we  have  done  anything  as  a  Con- 
ference, or  as  men,  to  forfeit  your  confidence  and  affection.  We 
are  not  advised  that  even  in  the  great  excitement  which  has  dis- 
tressed you  for  some  months  past,  any  one  has  impeached  our 
moral  conduct,  or  charged  us  with  unsoundness  in  doctrine,  or 
corruption,  or  tyranny  in  the  administration  of  discipline.  But 
we  learn  that  the  simple  cause  of  the  unhappy  excitement  among 
you  is,  that  some  suspect  us,  or  affect  to  suspect  us,  of  being  Abo- 
litionists. Yet,  no  particular  act  of  the  Conference,  or  any  par- 
ticular member  thereof,  is  adduced,  as  the  ground  of  the  erroneous 
and  injurious  suspicion.  We  would  ask  you,  brethren,  whether 
the  conduct  of  our  ministry  among  you  for  sixty  years  past  ought 
not  to  be  sufficient  to  protect  us  from  this  charge  ?  Whether  the 
question  we  have  been  accustomed  for  a  few  years  past  to  put  to 
candidates  for  admission  among  us,  namely,  Are  you  an  Abo- 
litionist? and  without  each  one  answered  in  the  negative,  he  was 
not  received,  ought  not  to  protect  us  from  the  charge.  Whether 
the  action  of  the  last  Conference  on  this  particular  matter  ought 
not  to  satisfy  any  fair  and  candid  mind  that  we  are  not,  and  do 
not  desire  to^be,  Abolitionists.  •**•*#** 
We  cannot  see  how  we  can  be  regarded  as  Abolitionists  without 
the  ministers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South  being 
considered  in  the  same  light. 

"  Wishing  you  all  heavenly  benedictions,  we  are,  dear  brethren, 
yours  in  Christ  Jesus, 

J.  P.  DURBIN, 

J.  KENNADAY, 

IGNATIUS  T.  COOPER,    \-  Comm. 

'WILLIAM  H.  GILDER, 

JOSEPH  CASTLE, 
Wilmington,  Del.,  April  7,  1847." 


50 

The  following,  from  the  proceedings  of  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference, as  reported  for  the  United  States  Gazette,  shows  the 
manner  of  examination  of  candidates  for  ordination  by  that  body. 
The  meeting  was  in  1846. 

"TheKev.  Mr.  Quigly  proposed  that  each  candidate  should 
be  asked  whether  he  was  a  slave-holder  ;  and  whether  he  was  en- 
gaged in  any  of  the  modern  improvements  of  promoting  the  abo- 
lition of  slavery  ;  and  none  dissenting,  the  question  was  severally 
asked  as  follows : 

"  Bishop  Hedding — '  Are  you  a  slave-holder  ?' 

"  To  which  all  answered,  '  No.' 

"  Bishop  Hedding — '  Glory  to  God !  not  one  of  their  souls  is 
stained  with  the  blood  of  Africa  ! ' 

"  The  Bishop  then  informed  the  candidate  that  he  was  about 
to  put  a  question,  the  meaning  of  which,  before  put,  he  was  in 
duty  bound  to  explain  as  he  understood  it.  By  an  '  abolitionist,' 
in  the  sense  he  was  about  interrogatively  to  use  it,  he  meant  not 
one  who  was  opposed  to  the  holding  of  men  in  bondage  for  mere 
gain  !  for  the  purpose  of  growing  rich  by  slave  labor ;  to  grind 
the  face  of  the  poor,  that  the  master  might  be  exalted  ;  but  he 
meant  those  who  uncharitably  denounced  men  who  happened  to 
have  been  born  in  a  slave-holding  State ;  born  in  the  possession 
or  heritage  of  slaves  ;  who  treated  them  well  ;  who  nurtured  the 
sick  and  the  poor  ;  who  did  not  hold  them  for  mere  gain,  but  for 
good  ;  who  did  the  best  they  could  under  the  circumstances. 
After  this  explanation,  the  Bishop  said,  that  in  asking  them  if 
they  were  abolitionists,  he  meant  to  ask  if  they  were  prepared  to 
'  curse  all  who  were  slave-holders,  under  any  and  all  circum- 
stances.' 

"Bishop  Hedding — «  Are  you  an  abolitionist  ?  ' 

"  To  which  all  answered,  '  No.' 

"  Bishop  Hedding — «  Thank  God  !  there  is  none  of  them  willing 
to  cut  off  the  heads  of  our  Southern  brethren  because  they  happen 
to  hold  slaves.'  " 

This,  then,  is  the  boasted  division  between  the  Northern  and 
Southern  Methodist  Church !  !  And  this  the  opposition  of  the 
former  to  slavery.  Grosser  fraud  and  falsehood  was  never 
known !  The  ministry  who  practise  it  should  receive  the  un- 
mingled  execrations  of  the  universe. 

THE   PROTESTANT   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH. 

There  is  one  redeeming  quality  in  this  denomination,  to  which 
scarcely  any  other  can  lay  claim;  and  that  is,  while  it  is  as  de- 
cidedly pro- slavery  as  any  other  sect,  it  makes  no  pretension  to 
any  other  character.  It  is  really  as  anti-slavery  as  any  of  the 


51 

sisterhood  of  sects.  But,  to  its  credit  should  it  be  said,  it  has 
never,  like  them,  asked  to  be  reckoned  other  than  what  it  is,  the 
cool,  deliberate  despiser  and  contemner  of  the  anti-slavery 
cause,  and  the  enemy  of  colored  humanity. 

The  following  letter  from  "the  oldest  Bishop  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church,"  will  be  fully  sufficient  to  establish  the 
character  of  the  body  it  represents  : 

"  JUBILEE  COLLEGE,  Illinois,  N.  A.,  \ 
August  1,  A.  D.,  1846.          / 
"  To  THE  EIGHT  REV.  SAMUEL, 

Lord  Bishop  of  Oxford,  Eng. 

"  Very  dear  Brother  in  the  Lord  Jesus  : — Allow  me,  the  oldest 
Bishop  of  the  '  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  '  in  the  United  States, 
to  address  your  Lordship  on  the  subject  of  a  pamphlet  entitled  «  A 
REPROOF  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CHURCH,'  which  '  reproof '  is  said 
to  be  contained  in  copious  '  extracts  '  from  your  Lordship's  lately 
published  history  of  said  church. 

"  Never  having  read  this  work  from  which  the  said  'reproof 
is  drawn  (though  I  have  learned  from  respectable  persons  who 
have  examined  it,  that  the  work  seems  to  have  been  compiled  from 
materials  furnished  by  a  party  in  the  Episcopal  Church) ;  yet 
from  many  years'  acquaintance  with  your  Lordship's  excellent 
character,  I  can  say  with  full  confidence,  that  the  acerbity  which 
is  spread  over  the  pages  of  the  pamphlet  in  question  (three  times 
as  voluminous  as  the  extracts  themselves),  cannot  be  approved  by 
your  Lordship.  The  whole  effect  produced  on  the  mind  by  the 
pamphlet  is  so  different  from  that  which  one  rises  from  perusing 
your  own  or  your  father's  writings,  that  I  cannot  think  your 
Lordship's  sanction  is  any  wise  given  to  it.  Who  could  suppose 
that  the  Bishop  of  Oxford,  the  son  of  the  benevolent  Wilberforce, 
could  take  pleasure  in  inflicting  wounds  on  his  brethren  of  the 
Episcopate  in  America  for  supposed  faults,  or  for  public  evils,  of 
which  they  are  in  no  wise  the  cause  ! 

"  In  the  deepest  sorrow  of  heart  do  I  lament  the  melancholy 
effects  produced  by  the  circumstances  before  me.  Alas !  what 
do  I  see?  The  bishops  and  clergy  of  America  censured  for  that 
of  which  they  are  not  guilty,  and  of  which  they  are  not  the  cause, 
and  those  who  censure  them  evidently  unconscious  both  of  the 
evils  which  their  mistaken  censure  produces,  and  of  the  extent  of 
the  evils  which  must  follow  from  the  weight  of  their  character 
and  opinion. 

"  Before  I  proceed,  I  beg  leave  to  state,  that  in  endeavoring  by 
my  feeble  means  to  shield  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in 
the  United  States,  I  crave  to  be  understood  as  not  assuming 
political  ground. 

"  The  Episcopal  Church  in  America  did  in  nowise  originate 


52 

slavery.  She  always,  in  company  with  other  benevolent  persons 
of  the  day,  raised  her  voice  against  its  introduction  into  the  then 
British  Colonies.  Nor  is  she  now,  in  any  competent  sense,  a 
part  of  the  civil  government  to  cure  its  temporal  evils.  Her 
bishops  are  not,  as  the  English  Prelates  are,  admitted  to  a  seat  in 
the  halls  of  legislation,  nor  are  they  allowed  to  '  rise  in  their 
places  '  to  plead  the  cause  of  humanity.  All  she  can  do  is  by  her 
prayers,  and  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  teaching  of  the 
blessed  doctrines  of  Christianity,  to  endeavor  to  ameliorate  the 
condition  of  the  slave;  but,  like  the  primitive  Christians  amidst 
the  evils  that  surround  her,  she  does  not  think  herself  called  upon 
to  eradicate  at  once  the  evil.  She  rather  finds  herself  commanded, 
as  were  the  servants  in  the  gospel,  to  exercise  caution,  '  lest  in 
eradicating  the  tares  they  root  out  the  wheat  also.'  'Let  both 
grow  together,'  saith  our  Lord.  Let  the  evil  be  borne  for  the  sake 
of  the  good  that  ma}^  be  done  to  the  souls  of  the  poor  slaves. 

"The  tenor  of  these  remarks  falls  in  with  the  example  of  St. 
Paul.  The  gospel  through  his  mouth,  and  the  power  of  the 
divine  Spirit,  had  converted  the  noble  Philemon  from  the  slavery 
of  sin  to  the  freedom  of  the  Son  of  God.  This  Philemon's  'run- 
away slave'  enjoyed  the  same  benefit  at  the  hands  of  the  same 
apostle,  some  time  after,  wh  ile  a  prisoner  in  the  city  of  Rome.  His 
name  was  Onesimus,  and  while  ministering  to  the  necessities  of  the 
holy  apostle,  he  heard  the  word  of  God,  and  like  his  master, 
believed.  It  now  becomes  a  matter  of  great  importance,  in  relation 
to  the  subject  of  this  letter,  to  know  what  directions  the  apostle  gave 
to  the  converted  slave  of  Philemon,  when  he  sent  him  back  to  his 
master.  Was  it  that  he  was  a  freeman  in  the  temporal  sense, 
and  must  maintain  his  rights  as  a  part  of  '  a  whole  gospel'  ?  Was 
it  that  as  a  freeman  he  was  to  go  back  and  claim  the  privileges 
and  immunities  of  this  his  temporal  freedom,  as  it  is  now  under- 
stood by  the  abolitionists  ?  Was  it  that  henceforth  he  was  to  con- 
sider himself  as  having  a  right  to  propagate  his  sentiments  and 
'  preach  the  whole  gospel '  ?  that  is  to  say,  that  he  had  a  right  to 
creep  into  his  former  master's  kitchen  and  fill  the  heads  of  all  the 
bond-servants  with  the  ideas  of  their  temporal  rights  according  to 
this  creed,  thereby  exciting  them  to  rebellion,  and  if  resisted  (and 
resisted  they  certainly  would  be),  to  murder  their  kind  master  and 
take  possession  of  his  estate? 

"  Far,  very  far  from  so  wicked  an  estimate  of  the  holy  religion 
unto  the  blessings  and  privileges  of  which  the  apostle  had  ad- 
mitted him,  this  now  converted  servant  of  the  pious  Philemon, 
that  he  sent  the  former  immediately  back  to  serve  the  latter  as 
heretofore.  Not  a  word  of  abolitionism  was  uttered  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Onesimus,  or  intimated  by  the  apostle.  He  entreats 
Philemon  to  receive  his  servant  back  again  as  a  brother  beloved 
in  Christ,  though  still  a  servant,  and  as  such,  if  required,  engages 
to  pay  the  losses  he  had  occasioned  his  master  by  his  leaving  him. 


53 

'If  he  hath  wronged  thee  aught,  put  that  to  my  account,  I  Paul 
have  written  it  with  my  own  hand,  I  will  repay  it.'  How  different 
this  from  the  language  of  modern  abolitionism  !  Yet  this,  my 
Lord,  is  a  part  of  our  Holy  Bible. 

44  Hence  it  is  clearly  to  be  inferred  that  the  relations  of  political 
society  are  to  continue,  be  they  what  they  may,  notwithstanding 
-the  most  intimate  ties  of  Christian  fellowship." 

In  183G  Rev.  George  W.  Freeman  delivered  two  sermons  in 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  that  were  published  under  the  imposing 
title  of  4'The  Rights  and  Duties  of  Slave-holders,"  with  the  fol- 
lowing imprimatur  from  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese : 

"  RALEIGH,  Nov.  30,  1836. 

44  RET.  AND  DEAR  BROTHER: — I  listened  with  most  unfeigned 
pleasure  to  the  discourses  delivered  last  Sunday,  on  the  character 
of  slavery  and  the  duties  of  masters.  And  as  I  learn  a  publica- 
tion of  them  is  solicited,  I  beg,  from  a  conviction  of  their  being 
urgently  called  for  at  the  present  time,  that  you  will  not  withhold 
your  consent. 

44  Your  affectionate  friend  and  brother  in  the  Lord, 

44  L.  S.  IVES." 

In  South  Carolina,  the  "Society  for  the  Advancement  of 
Christianity,11  made  up  of  Clergymen  and  Laymen,  the  Bishop  at 
the  head  of  it,  seized  upon  the  sermons,  imprimatur  and  all,  and 
published  them  as  religious  tracts,  for  gratuitous  distribution  ! ! 

An  extract  from  the  sermons  reads  thus  : 

44  No  man  or  set  of  men  in  our  day,  unless  they  can  produce  a 
new  Revelation  from  heaven,  are  entitled  to  pronounce  slavery 
wrong.  *  *  *  Slavery,  as  it  exists  at  the  present  day,  is 
agreeable  to  the  order  of  Divine  Providence." 

The  Episcopal  Convention  of  New  York,  by  a  clerical  vote  ot 
98  to  54,  has  decided  not  to  admit  a  congregation  of  negroes  into 
its  union,  although  the  church  has  a  white  pastor  ! 

THE   UNITARIANS    AND    UNI  VERBALISTS. 

Making  no  terms  of  Christian  fellowship,  as  do  the]  close  com- 
munion denominations  whose  character  has  already  been  consid- 
ered, but  admitting  all  perstms  to  their  sacramental  board  on 
their  own  responsibility,  the  Unitarians  and  Universalists  cannot 
be  convicted  of  countenancing  slavery  in  the  manner  of  those  de- 
nominations, even  were  their  real  character  the  same. 

These  two  denominations  have  been  branded  as  infidels  (of 
perhaps"  a  modified  type) ,  by  their  more  evangelical  neighbors, 


54 

on  account  of  their  modes  of  faith.  It  is  but  justice,  however,  to 
say,  that  if  they  are  more  heretical  in  creed,  they  are  not  in 
character ;  and  indeed,  justice  demands  in  their  behalf  even 
more  than  this.  Both  .denominations  have  spoken  by  a  formal 
protest  against  slavery,  signed  by  a  large  majority  of  their  min- 
isters throughout  the  country,  as  somewhat  becomes  the  serious- 
ness of  the  subject. 

But  credit  should  be  given  with  the  utmost  caution.  The 
painful  truth  must  be  revealed,  that  almost  every  Universalist 
and  Unitarian  meeting-house  in  the  land  is  closed  against  the 
anti-slavery  movement.  Almost  every  newspaper  reviles  that 
movement,  or  its  most  truthful  advocates ;  and  almost  every 
member  of  these  Societies  is  a  supporter  of  one  of  the  political 
parties,  whose  votes  are  ever  freely  given  for  slave-owners  to  fill 
the  highest  offices  in  the  nation's  gift. 

The  General  Convention  of  Universalists  from  all  parts  of 
the  United  States,  holden  in  Troy  in  1846,  rejected,  with  too 
much  indignation,  the  following  Resolution,  and  laid  it  on  the 
table : 

"Resolved,  That  the  legitimate  sphere  of  the  Christian  pulpit 
includes  the  advocacy  of  Liberty,  Peace,  Temperance,  and  all  the 
moral  and  religious  interests  of  man." 

THE   FEIENDS,    OR   QUAKERS. 

By  a  rule  of  the  Church,  adopted  almost  an  hundred  years 
ago,  no  member  of  the  Society  may  hold  slaves.  Still,  when  the 
United  States  Bank  had  immense  securities  in  slaves,  no  Quaker 
was  ever  disciplined  for  retaining  vast  investments  in  the  stock 
of  that  Institution.  The  same  is  true  of  other  banks,  or  what- 
ever corporate  association  men  enter  into  for  purposes  of  gain. 

Contrast  this  mingling  with  evil-doers  whereby  to  grow  rich, 
with  the  instructions  of  the  yearly  meetings  to  their  members 
through  the  country,  relative  to  joining  in  philanthropic  associa- 
tions to  rescue  and  save  men  from  the  grasp  of  the  oppressor. 

A  large  yearly  meeting,  the  Indiana,  complains  and  deplores 
"  that  some  of  our  meeting-houses  have  been  opened  for  the 
purpose  of  holding  anti-slavery  meetings  and  delivering  lectures. 
We  feel  concerned  to  advise  against  such  a  practice,  as  being 
contrary  to  the  general  usage  of  society,  and  of  hurtful  tendency 
to  our  members.  *  *  *  As  such  acts  may  affect  the  situa- 
tion of  our  society,  and  disturb  its  harmony,  which  has  been  the 
case  in  the  instance  before  us,  we  feel  called  upon  to  express  our 
disapprobation  of  such  proceedings. 

"  There  are  also  some  periodicals  within  our  limits,  conducted 


55 

under  the  character  and  style  of  Friends,  whose  object  seems  to 
be  the  promotion  and  advancement  of  our  'testimony  against 
slavery,  which,  not  being  under  our  supervision,  we  cannot  con- 
sistently give  them  our  sanction,  nor  be  responsible  for  any  of 
their  contents."  And  a  most  solemn  admonition  to  their  mem- 
bers against  mingling  in  anti-slavery,  and  other  benevolent  asso- 
ciations, they  close  with  these  words  from  the  prophet : 

"Ephraim,  he  hath  mixed  himself  among  the  people:  stran- 
gers have  devoured  his  strength,  and  he  knoweth  it  not." 

Such  are  the  sentiments  of  Quaker  bodies  all  over  the  land. 
There  are  individual  exceptions  of  a  most  honorable  character. 
They  instruct  members  not  to  mingle  with  other  men  in  benevo- 
lent enterprises,  and  have  often  disciplined  and  expelled  them  for  so 
doing.  Then  they  do  mingle  with  the  world  to  a  mighty  extent  in 
all  wealth-getting  schemes,  hold  immense  securities  often  with 
others  in  human  bodies  and  souls.  They  join  corrupt  political 
parties.  Vote  for  men  stealers  and  their  abettors  to  rule  the 
nation,  to  make  and  carry  on  war  upon  neighboring  and  innocent 
republics  to  extend  slavery.  They  close  every  one  of  their 
meeting-houses  against  the  Anti-Slavery  Convention,  violently 
drag  out  of  their  meetings  the  advocates  of  the  slave,  and  then 
ask  the  world  to  regard  them  as  the  only  immaculate  church, 
and  friend  of  God  and  humanity,  beneath  the  sun.  If  a  board  of 
brokers  among  the  demons  of  darkness  would  not  pay  high  pre- 
mium for  hypocrisy  like  this,  then  such  stocks  must  have  greatly 
fallen  in  that  market  since  the  last  accounts  from  thence. 

THE   FREE    WILL    BAPTISTS. 

Like  most  other  sects,  the  Free  Will  Baptists  boast  of  their 
Anti-Slavery.  Their  most  important  declaration  against  slavery 
dates  from  Conneaut  in  Ohio,  in  1839.  They  refused  to  ordain 
a  slave-holder,  and  passed,  among  others,  this  Resolution  : 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  with  sorrow  of  heart  that  we  learn  that 
slavery  is  tolerated,  practised,  and  defended  in  certain  portions  of 
the  CHRISTIAN  church." 

It  is  then  the  "  Christian"  church  that  "practises  "  slavery. 
That  "defends"  and  baptizes  the  bloody  brokerage.  That 
sanctifies  adultery.  That  manufactures  heathenism.  That  con- 
secrates the  shambles  where  the  eternal  God,  in  the  person  of  his 
children,  is  daily  sold  at  auction.  That  barters  babes  for  Bibles 
to  send  to  the  heathen  of  Madagascar.  That  swaps  women  for 
wine  to  drink  at  sacrament,  in  remembrance  of  atoning  love. 


56 

The  Free  Will  Baptists  say  the  Church  that  does  this  is  a 
"  Christian  Church  ! !  "  What  do  such  Free  Will  Baptists  know 
about  Christianity  ? 

They  boast  that  they  have  no  slave-owners  in  their  connection. 
Equally  true  is  it,  that  there  is  no  Evangelical  slave-holder  in 
any  sect  whom  they  do  not  indirectly  fellowship  as  a  Christian, 
and  but  very  few,  if  any,  whom  they  do  not  directly. 

They  boast  of  their  membership  in  the  "American  Church." 
Very  few  of  their  meeting-houses  are  opened  for  the  Anti-Slav- 
ery Convention.  They  are  revilers  of  the  Anti-Slavery  move- 
ment. They  have  expelled  both  ministers  and  members  for 
fidelity  to  that  movement. 

Politically,  they  are  the  most  furious  supporters  of  this  blood- 
cemented  Union.  No  Democracy  is  too  depraved  for  their  em- 
brace. In  New  Hampshire  and  Maine  slavery  has  owed  its  tri- 
umphs ?o  the  Democratic  party,  and  that  party  has  owed  its 
whole  success,  in  both  those  States,  to  the  Free  Will  Baptists. 
One  of  their  ministers  boasted  to  me  that  every  voting  member 
in  his  Church  was  also  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party.  And 
this  Church  was  by  no  means  alone.  With  very  few  exceptions, 
neither  the  ministers  nor  members  know  anything  of  the  simplest 
rudiments  of  Anti-§lavery. 

THE   CAMPBELLITES,    OR   DISCIPLES. 

These  are  most  numerous  at  the  West  and  South.  They  are 
slave-holders  and  slaves.  President  Shannon,  of  Bacon  College, 
one  of  the  most  eminent  of  this  sect,  concludes  a  Bible  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  slavery  thus  : 

"Thus  did  Jehovah  STEREOTYPE  HIS  APPROBATION  or  DO- 
MESTIC SLAVERY  by  incorporating  it  with  the  institutions  of  the 
Jewish  religion,  the  only  religion  on  earth  that  had  the  Divine 
sanction." 

But  the  best  view  of  the  position  of  this  sect  may  be  gathered 
from  the  Rev.  Alexander  Campbell,  from  whom  it  takes  its  name. 
He  asks,  in  the  Millennial  Harbinger  for  April,  1845  : 

"Is  the  simple  relation  of  master  and  slave  necessarily  and 
essentially  immoral  and  unchristian — as  that,  for  example,  of  the 
adulterer  and  adulteress  ?  We  are  clearly  and  satisfactorily  con- 
vinced it  is  not.  It  would  be,  in  our  most  calm  and  deliberate 
judgment,  a  sin  against  every  dispensation  of  religion, — Patri- 
archal, Jewish,  and  Christian, — to  suppose  that  the  relationship 
of  master  and  slave  was,  in  its  very  nature  and  being,  a  sin 
against  both  God  and  man." 


57 

In  May  of  the  same  year  he  declares  further, — 

"  There  is  not  one  verse  in  the  Bible  inhibiting  it,  but  many 
regulating  it.  It  is  not  then,  we  conclude,  immoral." 

"  The  discipline  of  the  church  is  the  only  discipline  under  which 
Christian  slaves  can  be  placed  by  Christian  masters.  If  they  will 
not  faithfully  serve  their  Christian  masters,  who  'partake  of  the 
benefit '  of  their  labors,  then  are  they,  after  proper  instruction 
and  admonition,  to  be  separated  from  the  church,  and  to  be  put 
under  whatever  other  discipline  a  Christian  master,  under  the 
existing  laws  of  the  State,  may  inflict." 

"  To  preserve  unity  of  spirit  among  Christians  of  the  South  and 
of  the  North  is  my  grand  object,  and  for  that  purpose  I  am  endeav- 
oring to  show  that  the  New  Testament  does  not  authorize  any 
interference  or  legislation  upon  the  relation  of  master  and  slave, 
nor  does  it,  either  in  letter  or  spirit,  authorize  Christians  to  make 
it  a  term  of  communion.  While  it  prescribes  the  duty  of  both 
parties,  masters  and  slaves,  it  sanctions  the  relation,  and  only 
requires  that  these  duties  be  faithfully  discharged  by  the  parties, 
making  it  the  duty  of  all  Christian  churches  to  enforce  these 
duties  and  to  exact  them  under  all  the  pains  of  Christian  disci- 
pline, both  from  the  master  and  from  the  slave,  leaving  it  to  the 
Lord  to  judge,  correct,  and  avenge  those  that  are  without. 

"Every  man  who  loves  the  American  Union,  as  well  as  every 
man  who  desires  a  constitutional  end  of  American  slavery,  is 
bound  to  prevent,  as  for  as  possible,  any  breach  of  communion 
between  Christians  at  the  South  and  the  North." 

In  a  letter  from  Mr.  Campbell  to  the  editor  of  the  Edinburgh 
(Scotland)  Journal,  dated  Dundee,  21st  August,  1847,  is  tne 
following  : 

"It  appears  to  me  as  evident  as  the  Law  of  Ten  Command- 
ments that  God,  for  certain  reasons,  allowed  in  certain  cases  the 
relation  of  master  and  slave  among  patriarchs,  Jews,  and  Chris- 
tians, at  the  same  time  enjoining  the  golden  rule  of  'loving  our 
neighbors  as  ourselves,'  or  of  '  doing  to  others  as  we  would  that 
others  should  do  unto  us,' — a  law,  by  the  way,  seldom  interpreted 
correctly  by  some  Anti-Slavery  men.  We  must  logically  or 
grammatically  interpret  it  thus  :  Are  you  a  master  ?  Treat  your 
servant,  in  all  things,  as  you  would  have  him  treat  you  were  you 
his  servant.  Are  you  a  servant  ?  Treat  your  master,  in  all  things, 
as  you  would  have  him  treat  you  were  you  his  master  and  he 
your  servant. 

"I  could  as  soon  become  a  Socialist,  or  Free  Thinker,  or  a 
skeptic,  as  say  or  think  that  it  is  immoral  or  unchristian  to  hold 
a  bond-servant  in  any  case  whatever,  or  to  allow  that  a  Christian 
man  can  have  property  in  man. 
3* 


58 

"I  therefore  dare  not,  with  my  Bible  in  my  hand,  join  in  the 
Anti-Slavery  crusade  against  the  relation  of  master  and  slave,  in 
all  cases  whatever,  or  proscribe  from  the  Lord's  table  a  Christian 
brother  because  he  holds  property  in  man. 

Mr.  Campbell  is  now  in  Scotland,  endeavoring  to  blind  the 
eyes  of  th'e  people,  and  to  establish  the  doctrine  of  the  Divinity 
of  American  Slavery.  But  he  has  been  unmasked,  and  disrobed 
of  his  **  sheep's  clothing,'1  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to  the 
humanity  of  that  country.  To  treat  a  man  who  is  picking  our 
pockets  as  we  would  that  he  should  treat  us  were  we  picking  his, 
is  a  new  principle  in  morality.  It  may  suit  the  meridian  of  Vir- 
ginia. In  Scotland  it  will  find  little  place.  It  may  be  adapted 
to  the  "  Church  of  the  Disciples,"  but  the  Churches  of  Britain 
are  advancing  to  a  newer  if  not  better  interpretation. 

THE    MEXICAN   WAR. 

At  this  moment  the  United  States  are  waging  a  war  upon 
Mexico,  an  innocent  and  comparatively  weak  republic,  to  extend 
the  territory,  to  multiply  the  horrors  and  the  victims,  of  slavery. 
This  war  the  church  has  most  frightfully  endorsed.  The  origin 
and  objects  of  it  are  most  clearly  seen  in  the  following  extracts 
from  correspondence  on  the  subject. 

The  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Upshur,  in  a 
letter  of  instructions  to  Mr.  Murphy,  then  in  Texas,  dated  Au- 
gust 8th,  1843,  writes  thus  on  the  subject  of  a  free  government  in 
Texas  that  should  exclude  slavery.  This,  it  will  be  recollected, 
was  before  annexation,  and  while  Texas  was  contemplating  the 
establishment  of  an  independent  government  of  her  own,  ex- 
cluding slavery.  Mr.  Murphy  was  instructed  to  oppose  such  a 
measure,  thus : 

"A  movement  of  this  kind  cannot  be  contemplated  by  us  in 
silence.  Such  an  attempt  upon  any  neighboring  country  would 
necessarily  be  viewed  with  very  deep  concern  ;  but  when  it  is 
made  upon  a  nation  whose  territories  join  the  slave-holding  States 
of  our  Union,  it  awakens  a  still  more  solemn  interest.  It  cannot 
be  permitted  to  succeed,  without  the  most  strenuous  efforts  on  our 
part  to  arrest  a  calamity  so  serious  to  every  part  of  our  country." 
******  * 

"The  establishment,  in  the  very  midst  of  our  slave-holding 
States,  of  an  independent  government,  forbidding  the  existence 
of  slavery,  and  by  a  people  born,  for  the  most  part,  among  us, 
, reared  up  in  our  habits,  and  speaking  our  language,  could  not 
fail  to  produce  the  most  unhappy  effects  upon  both  parties.  If 
Texas  were  in  that  condition,  her  territory  would  afford  a  refuge 


59 

for  he  fugitive  slaves  of  Louisiana  and  Arkansas,  and  would 
hold  out  to  them  an  encouragement  to  run  away,  which  no  mu- 
nicipal regulation  of  ours  could  possibly  counteract." 

"  The  States  immediately  interested  would  be  mosif  likely  to 
take  tho  subject  into  their  own  hands.  They  would  perceive  that 
there  could  not  be  any  security  for  that  species  of  property ,  if  the 
more  crossing  of  a  geographical  line  could  give  freedom  to  the 
slave." 

On  the  subject  of  Annexation,  Mr.  Upshur  wrote  again  to 
Mr.  Murphy  as  follows,  under  date  of  Jan  16,  1844: 

"  If  Texas  should  refuse  to  come  into  our  Union,  measures  will 
instantly  be  taken  to  fill  her  territory  with  emigrants  from 
Europe.  Extensive  arrangements  have  already  been  made,  and 
they  will  be  carried  into  effect  as  soon  as  the  decision  of  Texas 
shall  be  known." 

"But  the  first  measure  of  the  new  emigrants,  as  soon  as  they 
shall  have  sufficient  strength,  will  be  to  destroy  that  grand 
domestic  institution,  upon  which  so  much  of  the  prosperity  of  our 
frontier  country  depends  To  this,  England  will  stimulate  them, 
and  she  will  also  furnish  the  means  of  accomplishing  it.  I  have 
commented  upon  this  topic  in  a  dispatch  to  Mr.  Everett.  I  will 
add,  that  if  Texas  should  not  be  attached  to  the  United  States,  she 
cannot  maintain  that  institution  ten  years,  and  probably  not  half 
that  time." 

After  the   sudden   death    of  Mr.    Secretary  Upshur  by  the 
bursting  of  the  Paixhan  gun,  John  C.  Calhoun  succeeded  to  that 
office,   and  wrote  to  Mr.  Packenham,  the  British  Minister,   as 
follows : 
Mr.   Calhoun  to  Mr.  Packenham,9  British   Minister,   April    18, 

1844. 

"It  is  with  still  deeper  concern  that  the  President  regards  the 
avowal  of  Lord  Aberdeen  of  the  desire  of  Great  Britain  to  see 
slavery  abolished  in  Texas,  and,  as  he  infers,  is  endeavoring, 
through  her  diplomacy,  to  accomplish  it  by  making  the  abolition 
of  slavery  one  of  the  conditions  on  which  Mexico  should  acknowl- 
edge her  independence.  Under  this  conviction,  it  is  felt  to  be  the 
imperative  duty  of  the  Federal  Government,  the  common  represen- 
tative and  protector  of  these  States  of  the  Union,  to  adopt,  in  self- 
defence,  the  most  effectual  measures  to  defeat  it." 

Calhoun  to  Packenham,  April  27,  1844. 

"The  United  States,  in  concluding  the  treaty  of  annexation 
with  Texas,  are  not  disposed  to  shun  any  responsibility  which 
may  fairly  attach  to  them  on  account  of  the  transaction.  The 
measure  was  adopted  by  the  mutual  consent  and  for  the  mutual 


60 

and  permanent  welfare  of  the  two  countries  interested.  It  was 
made  necessary,  in  order  to  preserve  domestic  institutions,  placed 
under  the  guaranty  of  their  respective  constitutions,  and  deemed 
essential  to  their  safety  and  prosperity." 

Such  was  the  origin  of  the  war,  and  such  its  objects.  It  was 
an  inevitable  consequence  on  annexation.  And  yet  the  church 
has  baptized  it  in  the  name  of  Christianity.  The  Presbyterian 
Herald,  one  of  the  popular  organs  of  the  General  Assembly,  had 
the  following,  as  reasons  for  praying  for  the  Mexicans.  The 
article  was  copied  approvingly  into  other  religious  journals  : 

"DO    YOU   PRAY    FOR   THE    MEXICANS? 

"There  are  good  reasons  why  you  should. 

"  1.  They  have  souls  like  other  men.  Is  not  this  overlooked? 
They  are  not  wild  beasts,  though  like  them.  Why  pray  for  a 
Hindoo  or  a  Hottentot?  Because  he  has  a  soul  of  infinite  value, 
but  exposed  to  eternal  death.  80  has  every  Mexican.  Because 
they  are  all  Papists.  And  will  you  pray  for  the  conversion  of 
Romanism  around  you,  and  not  for  the  conversion  of  those  one 
thousand  miles  off? 

"2.  They  are  our  enemies.  This  is  one  of  the  strongest  rea- 
sons. Does  not  the  Saviour  so  teach  ?  Matthew  5 :  44.  This 
does  not  refer  to  private  enemies  only — it  extends  to  public  foes 
also.  It  may  be  your  duty  to  fight  them  to  preserve  the  life  and 
the  liberty  of  our  countrymen,  strictly  in  the  defensive.  But 
does  that  duty  to  our  country  exempt  us  from  the  other  duty  to 
them  ?  Fighting  and  praying  can  go  together.  Jesus  was  a 
Lion,  yet  a  Lamb:  so  his  disciples. 

"  This  is  the  way  to  stop  the  war.  Can  you  doubt  that  if  every 
Christian  in  this  land  were  to  lift  up  his  earnest  cry  to  God  for 
our  enemies,  that  they  might  see  their  error  and  cease  their 
strife,  it  would  be  done?  Are  not  God's  weapons  'mighty'? 
"What  if,  by  powder  and  ball  and  bomb-shell,  and  other  terrible 
instruments  of  death,  we  should  slay  thousands  of  them,  and  send 
consternation  to  the  heart  of  Mexico  :  would  it  not  be  better  to 
bring  them  to  terms  by  prayer  ?  Would  it  not  be  a  more  glo- 
rious victory?  Surely,  bloodless  achievements  are  the  most 
acceptable  to  God.  Only  one  kind  of  blood  is  pleasing  to  him, 
that  is,  the  blood  of  the  Lamb;  and  this  blood  is  omnipotent  to 
conquer  even  our  enemies.  Oh  !  in  eternity,  where  'all  nations' 
shall  soon  be  'gathered  '  before  the  judgment  seat,  let  it  not  ap- 
pear that  the  Christians  of  this  land  did  not  pray  for  their  ene- 
mies! 

"Lastly,  heretofore  there  has  been  no  opportunity  to  preach 
the  Gospel  in  Mexico,  and  we  should  be  concerned  to  have  the 
door  speedily  opened  to  all  her  provinces.  But  this  depends 


61 

much  on  the  faithfulness  with  which  Christians  visit  the  throne 
of  grace,  in  our  present  troubles  with  that  Republic.  Even  if  we 
should  by  force  subdue  their  bodies,  their  hearts  would  remain  as 
opposed  to  the  Gospel  as  ever,  and  doubtless  they  would  be  less 
disposed  to  receive  our  religion  than  ever.  But  if  by  prayer  God 
were  to  melt  down  their  pride,  and  kindly  dispose  them  to  us, 
how  great  the  good  accomplished  ! 

"Then,  will  you  pray  for  the  Mexicans  ? 

"PAX." 

"  Fighting  and  praying  can  go  together.  Jesus  was  a  lion  and 
yet  a  lamb.  So  his  disciples."  Such  is  the  almost  unanimous 
voice  of  the  so-called  Church,  the  land  over. 

But  the  last  and  probably  greatest  "reason"  is,  that  "we 
should  be  concerned  to  have  the  door  speedily  opened  to  all  the 
provinces  of  Mexico"  for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  the  plea 
that  all  Christendom  has  used  for  ages  to  gloss  over  the  most 
bloody  and  brutal  wars  that  ever  afflicted  humanity. 

[From  the  Gospel  Banner.] 

"  '  Our  Country,  Right  or  Wrong.  ' — There  is  a  kind  of  phi- 
lanthropy or  philosophy,  a  humanity  or  Christianity,  abroad  in 
the  land,  or  a  something  that  has  little  or  nothing  to  do  in  reality 
with  what  either  of  those  terms  properly  denotes, — a  patriotism 
which  eschews  the  love  of  country  in  a  greater  love  for  the  race, 
that  we  can  have  little  respect  or  sympathy  for.  It  is  quite  too 
sublimated  for  our  ideas.  It  is  the  peace  principle  carried — ille- 
gitimately, we  say — out  to  non-resistantism,  anti-human  govern- 
mentism,  anarchy,  and  'confusion  worse  confounded.'  Its  advo- 
cates say,  and  truly,  that  Christ  brought  peace  on  earth  ; 
consequently  his  religion  is  opposed  to  war,  all  war,  aggressive 
or  defensive  ;  consequently  all  national  wars  are  a  violation  of  the 
laws  of  Christ,  and  if  so,  sinful.  Every  government,  therefore, 
that  engages  in  war,  no  matter  for  what  cause,  for  there  can  be 
no  cause  adequate  to  the  justification  of  any  sin,  is  wrong,  and 
being  wrong,  no  Christian  should  support  it. 

"  Thus  at  last  we  have  a  Christianity  which  arrays  the  citizen 
against  his  government,  and  would  oblige  him  to  be  a  traitor  to 
his  country  in  order  to  be  a  disciple  of  Christ.  We  have  said  we 
cannot  subscribe  to  such  vagaries.  They  are  illegitimate  deduc- 
tions from  abstract  principles,  which  defeat  themselves  from  their 
absurdity. 

"We  go  for  our  country,  and  are  willing  to  add,  right  or 
wrong.  We  do  not  mean  by  this  that  we  are  bound  to  believe  or 
say  that  every  act  of  the  government  is  right;  we  may  believe, 
indeed,  that  it  errs  in  many  things.  What  then  ?  Shall  we 
abandon  it  and  desert  its -rights  ?  Nay,  we  will  not  do  it.  We 


62 

love  our  country  enough  to  lament  over  and  seek  to  correct  her 
errings  and  mistakes;  at  the  same  time  we  will  stand  by  that 
country  as  she  is,  right  or  wrong.  We  would  love  our  country, 
and  by  that  very  love  'cover  a  multitude  of  sins.'  Would  you 
not  stand  by  your  family,  right  or  wrong  ?  A  husband  and  father 
who  would  not  is  unworthy  the  relation.  A  son  who  would  prove 
recreant  to  the  defence  of  his  parents,  even  though  he  believed 
them  wrong,  would  be  recreant  to  duty.  No !  When  danger 
comes,  stand  by  your  country,  and  after  she  is  defended,  enter- 
tain, if  you  will,  your  speculations  as  to  whether  she  might  and 
ought  not  to  have  done  differently  in  the  premises." 

The  Rev.  Eliphalet  Case,  of  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer,  dedi- 
cates some  ' '  spirited  lines  "  to  the  mounted  volunteers  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  following  verse  is  a  specimen  of  the  "  spirit"  of 
the  reverend  gentleman : 

"Ho  !  pioneer,  you  cabin  leave  ;  ho  !  farmer,  leave  your  field  ; 
Ho  !  workman  with  the  iron  arm,  that  never  yet  did  yield  ; 
Take  down  the  deadly  rifle  now,  and  whet  the  bowie  knife, 
And  like  a  tropic  tempest,  come  ye,  gathering  to  the  strife." 

Rev.  Joel  Parker,  D.  D.,  in  his  war  sermon  in  the  Christian 
Observer,  declares, — 

«« I  was  not  an  advocate  for  the  present  administration.  I  cast 
my  vote  for  the  opposing  candidates,  and  my  judgment  is,  that  if 
they  had  been  elected,  the  Mexican  war  would  have  been  avoided, 
and  the  honor  of  the  country  as  well  preserved  as  at  present.  But 
our  present  Chief  Magistrate  was  duly  elected.  He  is  not  the 
President  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  the  President  of  the 
nation.  He  is  my  President  and  your  President,  and  we  are 
bound  to  treat  him  with  the  same  deferential  respect  as  if  he  had 
been  the  very  man  of  our  choice.  Moreover,  are  we  absolutely 
certain  that  he  is  not  really  laying  a  foundation  for  a  claim  on 
our  gratitude  in  this  very  matter  of  the  Mexican  war  ?  For  one, 
I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  am  not  so  well  informed  in  respect  to 
our  relations  with  Mexico  as  to  be  sure  that  our  Executive  could 
have  wisely  avoided  this  collision.  Perhaps  I  am  as  well 
acquainted  with  the  subject  as  the  majority  of  my  hearers,  yet  I 
have  no  doubt  that  a  bare  three  months  devoted  to  an  investiga- 
tion of  our  past  and  present  relations  with  Mexico  would  secure 
to  me  tenfold  the  amount  of  intelligence  which  1  at  present  pos- 
sess in  relation  to  the  subject ;  and  if  it  were  left  for  me  to  decide 
whether  that  course  of  policy  should  be  pursued  which  has  in- 
volved us  in  war,  I  should  not,  with  my. present  limited  knowl- 
edge, dare  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  deciding  against  it. 
Our  Chief  Magistrate  is  appointed  to  attend  to  this  very  business. 


63 

The  approbation  of  the  wise  and  good,  and  the  estimate  which 
future  generations  will  form  of  his  conduct,  and  the  admonitions 
of  conscience,  furnish  him  strong  inducement  to  do  his  duty  with 
fearless  independence.  He  is  surrounded  with  men  capable  of 
giving  him  wise  counsel.  It  is  our  part  to  treat  him  with  such 
respect  as  shall  encourage  him  to  deserve  the  best  wishes  and  the 
jprayers  of  the  people." 

Extract  from  the  New  England  Puritan,  by  Rev.  Parsons 
Cooke : 

"  The  fact  that  this  nation  is  earnestly  engaged  in  war  with  a 
neighboring  nation,  seems  to  be  little  realized  by  the  mass  of  the 
people,  and  especially  by  Christian  people,  who  ought  to  take  a 
deep  interest  in  the  subject.  ****** 

"  But  what  shall  Christians  do  in  the  case  ?  The  war  will  not 
be  brought  to  a  close  the  sooner  by  bringing  Christian  influence 
into  antagonism  with  any  legal  measures  for  prosecuting  the  war. 
We  are  in  the  war  by  the  acts  of  our  government,  and  shall  get 
out  of  it,  if  we  ever  do,  by  the  acts  of  the  government ;  and  none 
the  sooner  for  any  attempts  to  embarrass  that  action.  Our  rulers 
have  taken  the  responsibility  of  this  plunge,  and  we,  in  the  exercise 
of  a  religious  influence,  are  not  called  upon  either  to  justify  or  re- 
sist their  action.  As  citizens  exercising  the  political  franchise, 
at  the  proper  time  we  with  the  rest  must  make  our  opinions  felt, 
touching  such  important  measures.  But  now  the  simple  question 
is,  What  can  we  do,  as  Christians,  to  secure  the  favor  of  Providence 
and  avert  the  storm  ? 

"  It  is  obvious  to  remark,  that  the  efficacy  of  prayer  is  great, 
and  we  have  a  divine  warrant  to  apply  its  efficacy  to  these  great 
concerns  of  nations.  We  are  expressly  commanded  by  the  God 
of  peace,  to  pray  for  all  in  authority,  that  we  may  lead  peaceable 
and  quiet  lives.  *  *  *  ~vVe  can  also,  as  Christians, 
exert  ourselves  to  promote  national  humiliation,  in  view  of  those 
national  sins  which  have  procured  the  chastisement.  *  * 

"  We  as  a  nation  have  enjoyed  a  prosperity  and  an  increase 
beyond  example,  and  our  sins  have  grown  with  our  growth  ;  and 
this  war  has  come  in,  in  a  clear  connection  with  one  of  the  most 
enormous  of  our  national  sins.  There  is  a  clear  connection  be- 
tween the  punishment  and  the  sin.  And  in  such  a  crisis,  Christians 
are  evidently  called  upon  to  do  what  they  can  to  promote  repent- 
ance and  national  reformation." 

The  following  is  the  report  of  part  of  a  sermon  preached  before 
the  500  Baltimore  volunteers,  on  the  eve  of  their  departure  for 
the  seat  of  the  Mexican  war,  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Slicer,  of  that 
city.  Some  account  of  the  sermon  had  been  sent  to  the  public 
journals  ;  but  the  preacher,  or  some  of  his  friends,  considered  it 


64 

not  strictly  just,  and  the  following  was  forwarded  to  the  Balti- 
more Saturday  Visiter,  for  the  express  purpose  of  making  the 
corrections  that  were  deemed  necessary : 

"To  THE  EDITOR  or  THE  VISITER: 

"In  last  Saturday's  Visiter,  there  appeared  over  the  signature 
of  '  Howard,' the  following  extract  of  a  letter  to  a  New  York 

?aper,  with  the  accompanying  remarks  of  the  said   'Howard.' 
throw  myself  upon  your  courtesy,  and  respectfully  ask  the  use 
of  your  columns  for  a  reply." 

'The  Extract  is  unnecessary,  and  is  omitted. 

"I  deem  it  proper  here  to  state  the  circumstances  which  in- 
duced Mr.  S.  to  address  the  volunteers.  His  character  as  a  '  moral 
teacher,'  and  his  sentiments  as  a  Christian  and  Patriot,  have  been 
arraigned.  His  position  in  the  premises,  to  be  appreciated,  must 
be  properly  understood.  'Howard'  says  but  a  few  words,  and 
though  but  few,  he  has  said  too  much.  It  will  remain  to  be  seen 
whether  he  is  a  '  fit '  person  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  his  neighbor. 
I  happened  in  Washington  at  the  time,  was  present  at  the  dis- 
course, and  am  conversant  with  the  facts  in  the  case.  *  * 

"  The  necessary  arrangements  were  made  by  Capt  James  E. 
Stewart  (to  whom  the  men  had  reported  their  wishes)  and  Staff, 
with  the  worthy  commandant  of  the  Barracks,  Gen.  Henderson, 
who  concurred  most  heartily  in  the  proposition.  The  Rev.  gentle- 
man was  promptly  notified,  and  he  appeared  in  accordance  there- 
with on  the  occasion  alluded  to.  Besides  the  battalion,  a  vast 
concourse  of  citizens  made  up  the  audience.  He  began  by  ex- 
horting the  men  to  '  endure  hardness,  as  true  soldiers.'  The 
country  had  called  for  their  services,  because  the  country  needed 
their  services.  He  told  them  that  the  way  of  duty  was  the  way 
of  safety,  and  urged  them  to  pay  no  heed  to  those  who  would  try 
to  indoctrinate  the  people  with  the  idea  that  it  was  '  a  sin  against 
God  to  go  to  war.  When  the  civil  authorities  send  you  to  battle, 
obey  them '!  Holding  up  the  Bible,  he  declared  that  no  man 
could  in  any  of  its  teachings,  discover  a  single  sentiment  or 
opinion  between  its  lids,  that  inculcates  principles  repugnant  to 
the  civil  rulers  of  the  land.  That  nowhere  did  it  teach  its  ad- 
herents to  oppose  the  dispensations  or  jurisprudence  of  the  govern- 
ment, but  on  the  contrary,  '  to  render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that 
are  Caesar's,'  and  obey  the  legal  mandates  of  those  in  authority. 
He  instanced  the  very  expression  of  the  Saviour  himself,  and  illus- 
trated the  duty  of  the  soldier  and  Christian  in  time  of  war  and 
peace,  by  stating  the  case  of  the  Centurion  whom  Christ  declared 
'  to  have  greater  faith  than  any  man  in  Israel.'  He  adopted  the 
converse  of  the  proposition,  in  the  argument  of  those  whose 
professedly  scrupulous  opinion  rendered  them  too  conscientious 


65 

to  fight  under  any  circumstances,  by  asking,  « Did  Christ  tell  the 
Centurion  it  was  wrong  to  fight ; '  to  leave  his  profession  of  arms 
and  join  him  as  the  great  conservator  of  peace;  to  throw  aside 
his  sword  wielded  in  the  service  of  his  country,  and  dissolve  his 
connection  as  '  a  man  in  authority '  with  his  rulers  ?  No  such 
thing.  He  knew  his  trade  was  war;  and  as  the  '  Captain  of  an 
hundred  men  '  he  had,  when  occasion  required  it,  to  fight  with 
them  his  country's  battles.  The  Centurion  was  not  only  a  true 
soldier  of  his  country,  but  a  true  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  Could 
not  this  Captain  fight  and  pray  at  the  same  time?  The  man  who 
fights  the  hardest  when  the  blows  fall  the  thickest,  and  prays 
sincerely  to  the  God  of  Battles,  is  the  best  soldier  and  the  best 
Christian  !  He  exhorted  them  to  prayer — he  besought  them  to 
emulate  the  faith  and  virtue  of  the  Centurion,  and  no  harm 
should  befal  them  !  Look  well,  said  he,  to  the  bright  examples 
of  Gideon,  and  the  Koman  Centurion;  give  your  hearts  to  God 
in  prayer,  and  your  bullets  to  the  foe,  and  you  will  come  off  more 
than  conqueror  !  " 

The  Christian  Intelligencer  and  Southern  Methodist,  a  highly 
popular  monthly  magazine  in  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  edited  by 
Rev.  Evan  Stevenson,  has  the  following  articles  by  the  reverend 
editor : 

"  While  the  war  continues,  we  cannot  and  will  not  discuss  the 
question  of  slavery,  as  we  honestly  feel  more  like  discussing  roast 
beef  and  yams,  or,  if  our  service  is  required,  national  rights,  with 
our  sword  on  the  Rio  Grande.  We  entreat  our  correspondents 
that  they  forward  to  us  for  publication  no  religious  controversies 
pending  this  conflict  with  Mexico.  Let  us  drop  our  denomina- 
tional prejudices — 'Fight  the  good  fight  of  Faith,  and  lay  hold 
upon  eternal  life."1  " 

Another  article  reads  as  follows  : 

"  WAR!  WAR! 

"  War  is  lamentable  under  any  circumstances  ;  yet  when  our 
national  rights  are  violated  and  trampled  upon,  our  fellow-citi- 
zens slaughtered,  it  becomes  us — it  is  meet,  right,  and  proper — yea, 
it  is  the  indispensable  duty  of  those  who  can  bear  arms,  coolly  to 
step  forward  and  offer  themselves  to  do,  to  suffer,  or  to  die  for 
their  country,  if  need  be.  This  is  no  time  to  controvert  the 
policy,  propriety,  or  justice  of  the  war  ;  we  are  in  it,  and  some  of 
our  citizen  soldiers  have  to  do  the  fighting,  trusting  in  the  God  of 
Battles  for  success.  Under  the  influence  of  these  sentiments,  we 
offer  our  humble  person  upon  the  altar  of  our  common  country's 
good ;  that  we  may  accompany  noble  old  Scott's  chivalrous  sons 


66 

to  the  seat  of  war,  to  pray  with,  and  to  exhort,  to  comfort  and 
admonish — yea,  to  stand  or  fall  by  their  side,  as  Heaven  may 
decree." 

Another  article  contains  the  following  sentence : 

"  We  deprecate  war  as  much  as  any  man  should  do ;  we  regard 
it  as  a  lamentable  system,  by  which  widows  and  orphans  are 
thrown  upon  the  charity  of  the  world  by  scores,  yet,  if  it  must 
come,  and  if  it  prove  inevitable,  the  prayer  of  every  man  should 
be,  '  Teach  my  hands  to  war,  and  my  fingers  to  fight.'  " 

A  correspondent  of  the  Baltimore  Sun  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  a  visit  of  more  than  100  Methodist  ministers  to  the 
President,  while  they  were  in  attendance  at  Conference  in  Wash- 
ington : 

"A  number  of  the  preachers  in  attendance  at  Conference  hav- 
ing expressed  a  desire  to  pay  a  friendly  visit  to  the  Chief  Magis- 
trate, and  being  made  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  they  would 
be  welcomed  at  any  time,  upwards  of  one  hundred  proceeded  in  a 
body  to  the  mansion,  yesterday  afternoon,  for  that  purpose. 

"  On  their  arrival  the  elegant  circular  parlor,  in  the  centre  of 
the  edifice,  was  thrown  open  for  their  reception.  Rev.  Dr.  Lev- 
ings,  of  New  York,  was  designated  as  speaker  on  the  occasion. 

"In  a  few  minutes  the  President,  attended  by  his  excellent  and 
highly  accomplished  lady;  Miss  Rucker,  her  niece:  and  Mrs. 
Walker,  lady  of  the  private  Secretary,  entered  the  parlor. 

"Rev.  Mr.  Slicer  then  introduced  'the  Rev.  Doctor  Levings, 
and  ministers  of  the  Baltimore  annual  conference,  consisting  of  a 
part  of  Pennsylvania,  a  portion  of  Virginia,  and  the  western 
shore  of  Maryland.'  The  President  replied,  'I  am  happy  to  see 
the  gentlemen.'  Dr.  Levings  then  addressed  the  President  in  a 
very  neat  and  appropriate  manner,  congratulating  him  on  the 
general  prosperity  of  the  country,  and,  amongst  other  good  things, 
remarked,  in  substance,  that  as  ministers  of  the  gospel  of  peace 
they  indulged  a  hope  that  the  existing  war  would  be  speedily 
terminated  on  conditions  honorable  and  satisfactory  to  both 
countries.  As  republicans,  however,  they  were  determined  to 
sustain  their  country  until  a  more  favorable  state  of  things  should 
ensue. 

"  President  Polk  replied  in  a  brief  but  handsome  manner  ;  ex- 
pressed his  high  gratification  at  their  visit;  his  long  established 
conviction  of  their  patriotism  and  readiness  to  serve  their  country 
under  all  circumstances,  in  peace  or  in  war.  The  strength  of  the 
latter  expression,  and  the  emphasis  with  which  it  was  uttered, 
seemed  for  a  moment  to  disconcert  our  good  Doctor,  but  his  equa- 


67 

nimity  soon  returned,  and,  I  doubt  not,  if  the  President  had 
required  his  services  in  the  campaign,  that  he,  even  he,  would  do 
honor  to  his  State.  The  company  were  also  introduced  to  and 
heartily  welcomed  by  the  Hon.  Secretary  of  State." 

The  Christian  Observer,  a  recognized  organ  of  the  New 
School  Presbyterian  Church,  has  an  article,  from  which  this  is  an 
extract : 

"MEXICO  is  OPEN! — Mexico  is  open  to  Christian  as  well  as 
commercial  enterprise.  Our  countrymen  are  protected  in  the 
prosecution  of  their  lawful  business,  and  so  would  our  citizens  be 
in  the  sale  or  gratuitous  circulation  of  Spanish  Bibles,  tracts,  and 
bound  volumes.  These  books  are  on  the  shelves  of  our  deposito- 
ries. Why  should  they  remain  there,  when  now  they  may  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  population  at  Matamoras,  Monterey, 
Tampico,  Yera  Cruz,  Jalapa,  Perote,  Puebla,  &c.,  &c.?  Will 
those  whose  obligations  bind  them  to  this  circulation,  answer  this 
question  ? 

"The  sword  has  opened  the  way.  Our  officers  and  soldiers 
themselves  need  all  the  kindly  influences  we  can  exert  on  them. 
They  will  gratefully  receive  these  publications,  and  bless  their 
benefactors.  Shall  we  withhold  them  from  the  men  who  fight 
the  battles  of  the  country  ?  Many  of  the  officers  and  soldiers,  par- 
ticularly among  the  volunteers,  are  church  members,  and  will  re- 
joice in  such  an  enterprise.  Colporteurs  can  be  found  on  the 
ground.  Discharged  volunteers  will  remain,  and  instead  of 
shooting  balls  will  love  to  do  good,  and  communicate  to  the  mill- 
ions perishing  around  them  the  word  of  life. 

"  What  is  my  duty  as  an  AMERICAN  CHRISTIAN?  Let  the 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  Christian  freemen  in  our  land  answer 
that  question.  If  Captain  Bragg  gave  'a  little  more  grape,'  and 
turned  the  victory,  why  may  not  the  sons  of  peace  and  righteousness 
follow  up  that  victory,  with  all  those  missiles  and  weapons  which 
are  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strongholds  ? 

"  It  must  be  done.  It  is  the  great  movement  of  the  present 
century.  Who  will  lead  the  advance?  J.  C.  S. 

The  Xashville  (Tenn.)  Union  contains  the  following  choice 
item  of  intelligence : 

"At  a  Missionary  meeting  held  in  the  Methodist  church,  on 
Monday  night,  funds  were  raised  for  making  Gen.  Taylor,  Col. 
Campbell,  Col.  Anderson,  Capt.  Cheatharn,  and  Capt.  Foster  life 
members  of  the  Conference  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.  These  com- 
pliments will  be  duly  appreciated  by  the  brave  officers  who  are 
winning  laurels  on  the  field  of  battle." 


68 

"Not  an  Evangelical  church  in  this  nation  has  ever  expelled  a 
member  for  taking  part  in  this  horrible  plunder  and  massacre  of 
the  Mexicans.  Open  defence,  or  silent  approval  of  the  butch- 
ery, has  been  the  order  of  the  day  in  most  of  our  pulpits.  Some 
sermons  have  been  preached  against  it  from  time  to  time,  but 
enlisting-  to  fight,  and  murdering  those  who  are  defending  their 
homes  from  our  armed  assassins,  are  perfectly  consistent  with 
membership  in  the  great  mass  of  American  churches. 

FURTHER   SPECIMENS    OF    SLAVE-HOLDING   RELIGION. 

The  effect  of  slavery  on  the  mental  and  moral  condition  of  its 
victims,  is  seen  in  the  following  from  the  Report  of  the  New  Or- 
leans Presbytery,  published  in  the  New  Orleans  Protestant, 
which  declares  that  there  are  within  the  bounds  of  that  Presby- 
tery, "  at  least  100,000  persons  of  color,  nearly  all  of  whom  are 
slaves.  Of  this  number,  75,000  never  hear  the  doctrine  of  sal- 
vation through  a  crucified  Redeemer  preached,  and  of  the  re- 
maining 25,000  not  more  than  5,000  enjoy  its  regular  and  con- 
stant administration." 

The  Georgia  Christian  Index  thus  speaks  : 

"PREACHERS  FOR  THE  SLAVES. — We  think  the  instruction  of 
the  blacks  in  the  South  should  be  committed  wholly  to  white 
men,  and  they  should  be  Southern  men,  in  whom  masters  have 
confidence.  If  the  preacher  is  himself  a  slaveholder,  as  are  Mr. 
Jones  and  Mr.  Law,  they  will  command  the  greater  confidence, 
and  have  access  to  the  larger  number  of  plantations." 

The  same  paper  recently  had  this  singular  obituary  notice  of 
a  slave,  who  was  a  minister,  and  the  property  of  the  Alabama 
Association : 

"REV.  BAPTIST  MINISTER,  C^SAR. — A  good  colored  man  has 
fallen  in  Israel.  Departed  this  life  on  the  24th  of  Nov.  last,  in 
the  city  of  Montgomery,  Ala.,  after  lingering  a  few  months,  ap- 
parently with  old  age,  the  Rev.  Baptist  minister,  Caesar,  in  the 
76th  year  of  his  age.  Caesar  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  a  servant, 
and  emigrated  to  Alabama  with  his  master,  Mr.  John  Black  well, 
in  the  early  settling  of  the  country.  Csesar  being  a  good  servant, 
and  a  zealous  and  good  preacher  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  his  mas- 
ter gave  him  considerable  liberty  and  time  to  go  and  discharge 
his  dutv  as  a  minister,  until  his  master  died. 

"Then,  on  the  15th  day  of  December,  1828,  the  Alabama  Bap- 
tist Association  purchased  Ccesar,  and  gave  him  liberty  to  visit  all 


69 

the  churches  in  its  bounds,  and  preach  the  everlasting  gospel  for 
the  benefit  of  the  colored  population  of  the  country.  The  writer 
can  truly  say  that  his  labors  have  been  much  blest." 

The  Mercer  Luminary  contains  the  following  letter,  which 
was  read  at  a  late  General  Assembly : 

"My  DEAR  FRIEND: — Agreeably  to  your  request,  I  will  in- 
form you  of  some  of  the  workings  of  slavery  in  the  church.  Let 
me  premise  that  I  have  lived  eight  years  in  a  slave  State  (Va.). 
Keceived  my  theological  education  at  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  situated  in  Prince  Edward  County  (Va.),  near  the 
Hamdcn  Sydney  College.  Those  who  know  anything  about 
slavery,  know  the  worst  kind  is  jobbing  slavery — that  is,  the 
hiring  out  of  slaves  from  year  to  year,  while  the  master  is  not 
present  to  protect  them.  It  is  the  interest  of  the  one  who  hires 
them,  to  get  the  worth  of  his 'money  out  of  them,  and  the  loss  is 
the  master's  if  he  dies. 

"  What  shocked  me  more  than  anything  else  was,  the  church 
engaged  in  this  jobbing  of  slaves.  The  college  church  which  I 
attended,  and  which  was  attended  by  all  the  students  of  Hamden 
Sydney  College  and  Union  Theological  Seminary,  held  slaves 
enough  to  pay  their  pastor,  Mr.  Stanton,  ONE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS 
a  year,  of  which  the  church  members  did  not  pay  a  cent  (so  I 
•  understood  it).  The  slaves,  who  had  been  left  to  the  church  by 
some  pious  mother  in  Israel,  had  increased  so  as  to  be  a  large  and 
still  increasing  fund.  These  were  hired  out  on  Christmas  day  of 
each  year,  the  day  in  which  they  celebrate  the  birth  of  our  blessed 
Saviour,  to  the  highest  bidder.  These  worked  hard  the  whole 
year  to  pay  the  pastor  his  $1,000  a  year,  and  it  was  left  to  the 
caprice  of  their  employers  whether  they  ever  heard  one  sermon 
which  they  toiled  hard  the  whole  year  to  procure.  This  was 
the  church  in  which  the  professors  of  the  seminary  and  the 
college  often  officiated.  Since  the  Abolitionists  have  made  so 
much  noise  about  the  connection  of  the  church  \vith  slavery,  the 
Kev.  Elisha  Balenter  informed  me  the  church  had  sold  this 
property,  and  put  the  money  in  other  stock. 

"There  were  four  other  churches  near  the  College  Church  that 
were  in  the  same  situation  with  this,  when  I  was  in  that  country, 
that  supported  the  pastor,  in  whole  or  in  part,  in  the  same  way, 
viz.  :  Cumberland  Church,  John  Kirkpatrick,  pastor ;  Briny 
Church,  William  Plummer,  pastor  (since  Dr.  P.  of  Richmond) ; 
Buffalo  Church,  Mr.  Cochran,  pastor  ;  Pisgah  Church,  near  the 
peaks  of  Otter,  J.  Mitchell,  pastor.  This  is  the  church  where 
Mr.  Turner  preached,  and  used  to  electrify  the  State  by  his  elo- 
quence. 

"  I  am,  sir,  yours,  for^the  honor  of  the  church, 

«  J.  CABLE." 


70 

The  following  advertisement  is  from  the  Charleston,  S.  C., 
Courier  of  Feb.  12,  1835  : 


FIELD    NEGROES. 


"  By  Thomas  Gadsden.  On  Tuesday  the  17th  inst.,  will  be 
sold  at  the  north  of  the  Exchange,  at  ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  a  prime 
gang  of 

"  TEN    NEGROES, 

accustomed  to  the  culture  of  cotton  and  provisions,  belonging  to 
the  Independent  Church,  in  Christ's  Church  Parish." 
"Feb.  6th." 

In  1833  the  Rev.  Dr.  Furman,  of  North  Carolina,  addressed 
a  lengthy  communication  to  the  Governor  of  that  State,  express- 
ing the  sentiments  of  the  Baptist  church  and  clergy  on  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery.  This  brief  extract  contains  the  essence  of  the 
whole : 

"The  right  of  holding  slaves  is  clearly  established  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  both  by  precept  and  example." 

Not  long  after,  Dr.  Furman  died.  His  legal  representative 
thus  advertises  his  property : 


"  On  the  first  Monday  of  February  next,  will  be  put  up  at  public 
auction,  before  the  court  house,  tine  following  property,  belonging 
to  the  estate  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  FURMAN,  viz.  : 

"  A  plantation  or  tract  of  land  on  and  in  the  Wataree  Swamp. 
A  tract  of  the  first  quality  of  fine  land  on  the  waters  of  Black 
River.  A  lot  of  land  in  the  town  of  Camden.  A  LIBRARY  of  a 
miscellaneous  character,  CHIEFLY  THEOLOGICAL. 

"  27  NEGROES, 

some  of  them  very  prime.     Two  mules,  one  horse,   and  an  old 
wagon." 

The  Savannah,  Ga.,  Republican  of  the  13th  of  March,  1845, 
contains  an  advertisement,  one  item  of  which  is  as  follows : 

"  Also,  at  the  same  time  and  place,  the  following  negro  slaves, 
to  wit  :  Charles,  Peggy,  Antonnett,  Davy,  September,  Maria,' 
Jenny,  and  Isaac — levied  on  as  the  property  of  Henry  T.  Hall,  to 
satisfy  a  mortgage  fi.  fia.  issued'out  of  Mclntosh  Superior  Court, 


71 

in  favor  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Theological  Seminary  of 
the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  vs.  said  Henry  T.  Hall. 
Conditions,  cash. 

«C.  O'NEAL, 
"  Deputy  Sheriff,  M.  c." 

Such  is  the  American  church,  its  ministers,  Bishops,  Doctors 
of  Divinity,  Benevolent  Associations,  and  Theological  Semi- 
naries. There  are  a  few  other  denominations,  but  as  yet  they 
are  too  new  in  existence  or  too  limited  in  extent  to  render  notice 
of  them  necessary.  Generally,  however,  they  extend  their  Chris- 
tian fellowship  to  the  branches  of  the  Evangelical  church  that 
have  been  considered.  They  belong  in  large  numbers  to  the 
great  political  parties,  render  a  cordial  support  to  the  constitu- 
tion and  government  in  their  wars,  and  other  measures  to  sup- 
port and  extend  slavery,  revile  the  anti-slavery  cause  in  their 
public  journals,  and  complete  theii  pro-slavery  manifestations 
by  closing  nearly  all  their  houses  of  worship  against  all  the  most 
faithful  advocates  of  the  cause  of  humanity. 


SLAVERY-WHAT  IS  IT? 

The  character  of  American  Slavery,  to  which  the  church  so 
universally  thus  lends  its  most  important  support,  cannot  be 
portrayed  in  human  language.  Two  or  three  of  its  elements — 
elements  not  accidental,  but  essential  to  its  very  existence — are 
easily  comprehended,  and  speak  mightily  as  to  what  is  its  real 
character.  And  it  is  slavery,  too,  speaking  for  itself.  It  is  its 
own  account. 

Whether  slavery  is  Robbery  or  not,  let  its  own  statute  books 
decide.  The  Law  of  South  Carolina,  to  which  those  of  all  the 
slave  States  are  similar,  is  as  follows : 

"  All  negroes,  Indians  (free  Indians  in  amity  with  this  govern- 
ment, and  negroes,  mulattoes,  and  mestizoes,  who  are  now  free, 
excepted),  mulattoes  or  mestizoes,  who  now  are  or  shall  hereafter 
be  in  this  province,  and  all  their  issue  and  offspring  born  or  to  be 
born,  shall  be,  and  they  are  hereby  declared  to  be  and  remain  for 
ever  hereafter,  absolute  slaves,  and  shall  follow  the  condition  of 
the  mother."— Act  of  1740,  2  Brevard's  Digest,  229. 

The  manner  of  slave  brokerage  is  seen  in  the  following  letter 
from  a  North  Carolina  merchant  to  his  consignee  at  New  Or- 
leans : 


shipp 
I  will 


72 

"HALIFAX,  N.  C.,  Nov.  16,  1839. 
DEAR  SIR: 

"  I  have  shipped  in  the  brig  Addison  —  prices  as  below  : 
No.  1.  Caroline  Ennis,  $650. 

2.  Silvy  Holland,  625. 

3.  Silvy  Booth,  487.50 

4.  Maria  Pollock,  475. 

5.  Emeline  Pollock,  475. 

6.  Delia  Aberitt,  475. 

The  two  girls  that  cost  $650  and  $625  were  bought  before  I 
ed  my  first.  I  have  a  great  many  negroes  offered  to  me,  but 
I  will  not  pay  the  prices  they  ask,  for  I  know  they  will  come  down. 
I  have  no  opposition  in  market.  I  will  wait  until  I  hear  from 
you  before  I  buy,  and  then  I  can  judge  what'I  must  pay.  Good- 
win will  send  you  the  bill  of  lading  for  my  negroes,  as  he  shipped 
them  with  his  own.  Write  often,  as  the  times  are  critical,  and 
it  depends  on  the  prices  you  get,  to  govern  me  in  buying. 

"  Yours,  &c., 

"G.  W.  BAKNES. 
"  Mr.  Theophilus  Freeman,  New  Orleans." 

That  slavery  is  Adultery,  is  seen  in  these  astounding  facts  : 

"Professor  E.  A.  Andrews,  in  his  letter  on  'Slavery  and  the 
Domestic  Slave-trade,'  relates  that  a  slave  complaining  to  him 
that  his  wife's  master  was  about  selling  her,  remarked,  'This  is 
my  third  wife  :  both  the  others  were  sold  to  the  speculators.'  " 

"With  the  consent  of  their  masters,  slaves  may  marry,  and 
their  moral  power  to  agree  to  such  a  contract  or  connection  as  that 
of  marriage  cannot  be  doubted  ;  but  whilst  in  a  state  of  slavery, 
it  cannot  produce  any  civil  effect,  because  slaves  are  '  deprived  of 
all  civil  rights.'  Judge  Matthews  of  Louisiana;  Martin's  Rep. 
VL,  550." 

"  The  testator  left  his  negro  wench,  Pen,  to  one  daughter,  and 
her  future  increase  to  another.  The  court  decided  the  bequest  to 
be  good,  and  that  all  the  children  born  of  Pen,  after  the  death  of 
the  testator,  belonged  to  the  sister  of  her  mistress.  Per  Cur.  He 
who  is  the  absolute  owner  of  a  THING,  owns  all  its  faculties  for 
profits  or  increase,  as  well  as  the  thing  itself.  This  is  every 
day's  practice;  and  it  is  held  that  a  man  may  grant  the  wool  of  a 
flock  of  sheep  for  years."  —  Little's  Rep.  III..  275.  Kentucky, 
1823. 

"A  slave  has  never  maintained  an  action  against  the  violator 
of  his  bed.  A  slave  is  not  admonished  for  incontinence,  or  pun- 


73 

ished  for  fornication  or  adultery  ;  never  prosecuted  for  bigamy, 
or  petty  treason,  for  killing  a  husband  being  a  slave,  any  more 
than  admitted  to  an  appeal  for  murder." — Opinion  of  Daniel 
Dulamy.  Esq.,  Attorney  General  of  Maryland,  I  Maryland  Re- 
ports, 561,  563. 

There  is  not,  then,  a  slave  married  in  this  nation.  And  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  them  are  members  of  the  church,  and  every 
one  doomed  to  a  life  of  adultery  and  prostitution. 

And  more  dreadful  still,  various  ecclesiastical  bodies  have 
solemnly  considered  the  question  whether  this  trifling  with  the 
most  sacred  institution  God  ever  gave  to  man  can  possibly  be 
justified.  Let  earth  and  heaven  be  wrapt  in  astonishment  at 
their  decision. 

The  Savannah  River  Association,  in  1835,  in  reply  to  the  ques- 
tion— 

"  Whether,  in  a  case  of  involuntary  separation,  of  such  a  char- 
acter as  to  preclude  all  prospect  of  future  intercourse,  the  parties 
ought  to  be  allowed  to  marry  again  ?" 

Answer  : 

"  That  such  a  separation,  among  persons  situated  as  our  slaves 
are,  is  civilly  a  separation  by  death,  and  they  believe  that,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  it  would  be  so  viewed.  To  forbid  second  marriages 
in  such  cases  would  be  to  expose  the  parties,  not  only  to  stronger 
hardships  and  strong  temptation,  but  to  church  censure,  for  act- 
ing in  obedience  to  their  matters,  who  cannot  be  expected  to 
acquiesce  in  a  regulation  at  variance  with  justice  to  the  slaves, 
and  to  the  spirit  of  that  command  which  regulates  marriage 
among  Christians.  The  slaves  are  not  free  agents,  and  a  dissolu- 
tion by  death  is  not  more  entirely  without  their  consent,  and 
beyond  their  control,  than  by  such  separation." 

At  the  Shiloh  Baptist  Association,  which  met  at  Gourdvine,  a 
few  years  since,  the  following  query,  says  the  Religious  Herald, 
was  presented  from  Hedgman  Church,  viz., — 

"  Is  a  servant,  whose  husband  or  wife  has  been  sold  by  his  or 
her  master  into  a  distant  country,  to  be  permitted  to  marry 


The  query  was  referred  to  a  committee,  who  made  the  follow- 
ing report,  which,  after  discussion,  was  adopted : 

"  That  in  view  of  the  circumstances  in  which  servants  in  this 
country  are  placed,  the  committee  are  unanimous  in  the  opinion, 
4 


74 

that  it  is  better  to  permit  servants  thus  circumstanced  to  take 
another  husband  or  wife." 

The  Carolina  Baptist  recently  had  an  article  headed  "  Slav- 
ery and  Matrimony,"  that  probably  speaks  the  sentiment  of  not 
only  the  sect  whose  organ  it  is,  but  of  the  religious  public  at 
large,  on  the  subject.  An  extract  is  submitted  : 

"  As  the  State  constitutionally  and  legally  is  ignorant  of  the 
marriage  of  slaves,  it  is  equally  ignorant  of  its  dissolution.  It 
leaves  this  whole  matter  where  it  ought  to  be,  that  is,  untouched, 
and  with  the  owners  themselves.  If  there  be  an  abuse  of  this 
power,  the  remedy  is  not  with  the  State,  but  social,  religious,  and 
ecclesiastical.  Public  opinion,. in  a  commonwealth,  is,  in  such 
cases,  the  supreme  antidote  to  evils,  if  they  should  exist,  which 
are  neither  civil  nor  political,  but  individual." 

The  State,  then,  cannot  reform  the  abuse,  frightful  as  it  is, 
and  the  church  declares,  that  "in  the  sight  of  God"  it  is  no 
abuse,  consequently  it  remains  from  age  to  age. 

Such  facts  and  doctrines  as  these  are  too  frightful  for  com- 
ment. No  wonder  the  American  Church  has  espoused  polyg- 
amy. No  wonder  that  the  gazettes  of  the  day  overflow  with  the 
most  shocking  accounts  of  the  libertinism  and  lust  of  the  Amer- 
ican clergy.  No  wonder  that  an  earnest  writer  exclaimed,  in 
view  of  such  developments,  kt  The  Southern  ministry  are  desir- 
ous to  perpetuate  slavery  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  themselves 
with  concubines  from  its  hapless  victims !  "  But  enough. 

That  slavery  is  Torture  and  Murder  the  most  cruel,  let  these 
revelations  show : 

"STATE  or  NORTH  CAROLINA,  \ 
LENOIR  COUNTY.      /" 

"  Whereas,  complaint  hath  been  this  day  made  to  us,  two  of  the 
Justices  of  the  Peace  for  the  said  county,  by  William  D.  Cobb, 
of  Jones  county,  that  two  negro  slaves  belonging  to  him,  named 
BEN  (commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Ben  Fox),  and  KIGDON, 
have  absented  themselves  from  their  said  master's  service,  and  are 
lurking  about  in  the  counties  of  Lenoir  and  Jones,  committing 
acts  of  felony, — these  are,  in  the  name  of  the  State,  to  command 
the  said  slaves  forthwith  to  surrender  themselves,  and  return 
home  to  their  said  master.  And  we  do  hereby,  by  virtue  of  an 
act  of  the  Assembly  of  this  State,  concerning  servants  and  slaves, 
intimate  and  declare,  if  the  said  slaves  do  not  surrender  them- 
selves, and  return  home  to  their  master  immediately  after  the 
publication  of  these  presents,  that  any  person  may  kill  and  destroy 
said  slavesby  such  means  as  he  or  they  think  fit,  without  accusa- 


75 

tion  or  impeachment  of  any  crime  or  offence  for  so  doing,  or  with- 
out incurring  any  penalty  or  forfeiture  thereby. 

"Given  under  our  hands  and  seals,  this  12th  day  of  Nov.,  1836. 

"  B.  COLEMAN,  J.  P.  [Seal.] 
JAS.  JONES,  J.  P."  [Seal.] 

'•  Two  HUNDRED  DOLLARS  KEWARD. — Ran  away  from  the 
subscriber,  a  certain  negro  man  named  Ben,  commonly  known 
by  the  name  of  Ben  Fox.  Also  one  other  negro,  by  the  name  of 
Rigdon,  who  ran  away  on  the  8th  of  this  month. 

"  I  will  give  the  reward  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  each  of  the 
above  negroes,  to  be  delivered  to  me  or  confined  in  the  jail  of 
Lenoir  or  Jones  county,  or  for  the  killing  of  them,  so  that  I  can 
see  them."  .  W.  D.  COBB. 

"November  12,  1836." 

The  Wilmington  (N.  C.)  Advertiser,  of  July  13,  1838,  con- 
tains the  following  advertisement : 

"  RAN  AWAY,  MY  NEGRO  MAN  RICHARD. — A  reward  of  $25  will 
be  paid  for  his  apprehension,  DEAD  OR  ALIVE.  Satisfactory  proof 
will  only  be  required  of  his  being  KILLED.  He  has  'with  him,  in 
all  probability,  his  wife,  ELIZA,  who  ran  away  from  Col.  Thomp- 
son, now  a  resident  of  Alabama,  about  the  time  he  commenced 
his  journey  to  that  State.  D.  H.  RHODES." 

In  the  Macon  (Georgia)  Telegraph,  May  28,  is  the  follow- 
ing: 

"  About  the  1st  of  March  last,  the  negro  man  RANSOM  left  me, 
without  the  least  provocation  whatever.  I  will  give  a  reward  of 
$20  for  said  negro  if  taken,  DEAD  OR  ALIVE,  and  if  killed  in  any 
attempt,  an  advance  of  $5  will  be  paid.  BRYANT  JOHNSON. 

44  Crawford  Co.,  Ga." 

From  the  Appalachicola  Gazette,  May  9  : 

"ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  DOLLARS  REWARD. — Ran  away 
from  my  plantation  on  the  6th  inst.,  three  negro  men,  all  of  dark 
complexion. 

"BiLL  is  about  five  feet  four  inches  high,  aged  about  twenty- 
six,  a  scar  on  his  upper  lip,  also  one  on  his  shoulder,  and  has  been 
badly  cut  on  his  arm,  speaks  quick  and  broken,  and  a  venomous 
look. 

"  DANIEL  is  about  the   same   height,  chunky  and  well   set, 

broad,  flat  mouth,  with  a  pleasing  countenance,  rather  inclined  to 

show  his  teeth  when  talking ;  no  particular  marks  recollected  ; 

aged  about  twenty-three. 

~ "  NOAH  is  about  six  feet  three  or  four  inches  high,  twenty- 


76 

eight  years  old,  with  rather  a  down,  impudent  look,  insolent  in 
his  discourse,  with  a  large  mark  on  his  breast,  a  good  many  large 
scars,  caused  by  the  whip,  on  his  back ;  has  been  shot  in  the  back 
of  his  arm  with  small  shot.  The  above  reward  will  be  paid  to  any 
one  who  will  KILL  the  three,  or  fifty  for  either  one,  or  twenty 
dollars  a  piece  for  them  delivered  to  me  at  my  plantation  alive, 
on  Chattahoochie,  Early  county.  J.  MCDONALD." 

From  the  Sumpter  County  (Alabama)  Whig: 

"NEGRO  DOGS. — The  undersigned,  having  bought  the  entire 
pack  of  negro  dogs  of  the  Hay  &  Allen  stock,  he  now  proposes  to 
catch  runaway  negroes.  His  charge  will  be  three  dollars  a  day  for 
hunting,  and  fifteen  dollars  for  catching  a  runaway.  He  resides 
three  and  one  half  miles  north  of  Livingston,  near  the  lower 
Jones'  Bluff  road.  WM.  GAMBEL. 

"Nov.  6,  1845." 

"  Was  committed  to  jail,  a  negro  man  ;  says  his  name  is  Josiah  ; 
his  back  very  much  scarred  by  the  whip,  and  branded  on  the  thigh 
and  hips  in  three  or  four  places,  thus — J.  M.  TheHra  of  his  right 
ear  has  been  bit  or  cut  off. 

"  J.  L.  JOLLEY,  Sheriff  of  Clinton  Co.,  Mi." 

"  Ran  away,  a  negro  woman  and  two  children.  A  few  days 
before  she  went  off  I  burnt  her  with  a  hot  iron  on  the  left  side  of 
her  face.  /  tried  to  make  the  letter  M. 

"  MICAJAH  RICKS,  Nash  County,  N.  C." 

And  this  from  the  Charleston  (S.  C.)  Courier: 

"  TWENTY  DOLLARS  REWARD.  —  Ran  away  from  the  sub- 
scriber, on  the  14th  inst.,  a  negro  girl  named  Molly.  She  is  16 
or  17  years  of  age,  slim  made,  lately  branded  on  the  left  cheek, 
thus,  R.,  and  a  piece  taken  off  her  ear  on  the  same  side ;  the  same 
letter  is  branded  on  the  inside  of  both  her  legs. 

"  ABNKR  Ross,  Fairfield  District,  S.  C. 

This  is  slavery's  own  account  of  itself.  This  is  the  system 
whose  Bulwark  is  the  American  church.  Humanity  is  grown 
tired  of  its  horrors.  It  seeks  to  be  rid  of  them.  Only  the 
religious  sanctions  of  the  church  prevent  its  immediate  success. 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE  CHURCH,  AS  BY  ITS  OWN   ADMISSIONS  AND 
ASSUMPTIONS,  IT  MIGHT  BE. 

In  this  chapter  the  evidence  of  the  largest  ecclesiastical  bodies 
in  the  nation,  and  of  some  of  the  most  eminent  lights  in  the 
church,  will  be  adduced  to  show  that  the  church  not  only  has  the 
power  to  abolish  slavery,  but  that  she  is  fully  aware  of  it,  and 
makes  that  power  her  pride  and  boast,  while  she  refuses  to  exer- 
cise it. 

The  power  of  the  church  to  overthrow  slavery  is  thus  exhibited 
in  a  recent  sermon  by  Rev.  Albert  Barnes,  of  Philadelphia. 
Nothing  need  be  said  of  the  eminent  talents  of  Mr.  Barnes.  The 
General  Assembly  has  none  his  superior,  few  his  equal.  And 
seeing  the  character  of  that  body,  as  he  does  see  it,  his  connec- 
tion with  it  reflects  most  unfortunately  on  the  qualities  of  his 
heart.  Let  the  following  extracts  from  his  sermon  be  carefully 
read  and  considered : 

"Advert  for  a  moment  to  the  efforts  made  to  remove  slavery 
from  the  world,  and  to  the  hindrances  which  exist  to  all  efforts 
which  can  be  made  to  remove  it  in  consequence  of  the  relation  of 
the  church  to  the  system.  Reflect  how  many  members  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  how  many  ministers  of  the  gospel,  are 
owners  of  slaves  ;  how  little  effort  is  made  by  the  great  mass 
to  dissociate  themselves  from  the  system;  how  many  there  are, 
even  in  the  pulpit,  who  openly  advocate  it;  how  much  identified 
the  system  is  with  all  the  plans  of  gain,  and  all  the  views' of  the 
comforts  and  ease  of  domestic  life  among  many  members  of  the 
church;  and  how  faint  and  feeble  is  the  voice  of  condemnation 
of  the  system  uttered  by  the  great  mass,  even  of  those  who  have 
no  connection  with  it;  and  how  often  the  language  of  apology  is 
heard,  even  then,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  how  ineffectual  must  be  all 
efforts  to  remove  this  great  evil  from  the  world.  The  language 


78 

of  the  ministry,  and  the  practice  of  church  members,  give 
such  a  sanction  to  this  enormous  evil  as  could  be  derived  from  no 
other  source,  and  such  as  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to  convince  the 
world  of  the  evil.  Against  all  this  influence  in  the  church  in 
favor  of  the  system,  how  hopeless  are  all  attempts  against  it; 
while  yet  no  one  can  doubt  that  the  church  of  Christ,  in.  this  land, 
has  power  to  revolutionize  the  whole  public  sentiment  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  to  hasten  the  hour  when,  in  the  United  States  and  their 
territories,  the  last  shackle  of  the  slave  shall  fall.  I  shall  have 
occasion  to  revert  to  this  in  the  other  part  of  the  discourse." 

In  the  latter  part  of  his  discourse  he  thus  alludes  to  the  same 
subject : 

"What  is  it  that  lends  the  most  efficient  sanction  to  slavery  in 
the  United  States?  What  is  it  that  does  most  to  keep  the  public 
conscience  at  ease  on  the  subject?  What  is  it  that  renders  abor- 
tive all  efforts  to  remove  the  evil?  I  am  not  ignorant  that  the 
laws  sustain  the  system,  and  that  supposed  interest  contributes  to 
it,  and  that  the  love  of  idleness,  and  the  love  of  power,  and  the 
love  of  base  passions  which  the  system  engenders,  and  that  a  show 
of  argument,  opaque  and  inconclusive  on  one  side  of  a  certain 
line,  but  bright  as  noonday  on  the  other,  does  much  to  sustain  the 
system.  But,  after  all,  the  most  efficient  of  all  supports — the 
thing  which  most  directly  interferes  with  all  attempts  at  reforma- 
tion ;  that  which  gives  the  greatest  quietus  to  the  conscience,  if 
it  does  not  furnish  the  most  satisfactory  argument  to  the  under- 
standing, is  the  fact  that  the  system  is  countenanced  by  good 
men;  that  bishops,  and  priests  and  deacons,  that  ministers  and 
elders,  that  Sunday-school  teachers  and  exhorters,  that  pious 
matrons  and  heiresses,  are  the  holders  of  slaves,  and  that  the 
ecclesiastical  bodies  of  the  land  address  no  language  of  rebuke  or 
entreaty  to  their  consciences.  That  will  be  a  slow  work  of  refor- 
mation which  will  be  undertaken  against  anything  that  has  the 
sanction  of  the  church  of  the  '  Living  God  ;  '  for  God  meant  that 
the  church  should  occupy  a  prominent  place  in  every  effort  to  de- 
liver the  world  from  sin.  *  *  *  * 

"  Were  all  the  ministers  and  members  of  the  churches  to  do  so 
simple  a  thing  as  the  Society  of  Friends,  after  much  toil  and 
effort,  have  done  to  remove  from  themseives  the  sin  of  slavery, 
and  to  stand  before  the  world  in  the  sublime  and  noble  attitude  of 
having  no  connection  whatever  with  the  system,  how  soon  would 
the  system  come  to  an  end  !  " 

As  the  Rev.  Mr.  Barnes  holds  so  conspicuous  a  place  in  the 
American  church,  it  cannot  be  improper  to  add  the  following 
from  another  production  of  his,  on  the  duties  and  responsibilities 


79 

of  that  church.     He  is  speaking  particularly,  as  will  be  seen,  on 
Temperance : 

"  The  ministry  hesitated  long  before  they  dared  to  use  lan- 
guage such  as  would  be  understood.  It  became  necessary  to  form 
a  society  out  of  the  church,  though  composed  to  a  great  extent  of 
those  who  were  professed  friends  of  religion,  to  do  what  should 
have  been  done  in  it ;  to  endeavor  to  act  upon  even  church  members 
and  ministers  from  abroad,  and  to  create  around  them  a  public 
opinion  which  would  induce  them  to  take  the  decided  stand  which 
was  necessary  ;  and  by  degrees  to  bring  the  church  to  the  posi- 
tion where  it  should  have  been  at  the  commencement.  The  work 
was  arduous  and  long.  The  church  stood  in  the  way  of  the 
progress  of  the  cause,  and  still  stands  in  the  way.  Mortifying 
and  sad  as  it  is,  I  hesitate  not  to  say,  that,  taking  the  country  at 
large,  in  my  judgment  there  is  not  so  serious  obstacle  to  the  entire 
success  of  the  temperance  reformation  as  the  habits  and  opinions 
of  ministers  and  members  of  the  churches;  and  it  is  only  by  an 
extraordinary  movement  out  of  the  church  that  the  deficiency  is 
to  be  made  up.  Yet  the  church  holds  this  power  in  her  hands — 
this  entire  power,  under  God,  to  perfect  this  glorious  work,  and 
to  drive  the  curse  from  the  land.  And  that  moment  when  every 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  every  officer  and  member  of  the 
church,  shall  be  the  thorough  and  consistent  advocate  for  entire 
abstinence;  and  when  every  member  of  the  church  shall  abandon 
all  connection  with  the  manufacture  or  the  traffic  in  intoxicating 
drinks,  and  withdraw  all  capital  from  it,  will  be  the  consumma- 
tion of  this  great  work  ;  nor  will  it  occur  till  then. 

"The  same  remarks  might  be  made  of  any  and  every  other 
cause  of  reformation.  In  everything  affecting  purity  of  morals, 
chastity  of  life,  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  the  cause  of  hu- 
man liberty,  the  freedom  of  those  held  in  bondage,"  &c.,  &c. 

Such  is  the  testimony  of  one  of  the  brightest  luminaries  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  It  is  most  calamitous  to  the  world  when 
such  ministers  lend  their  powerful  influence  to  deceive  men  with 
the  idea  that  such  can  be  the  true  Church,  or  in  the  remotest 
sense  the  representative  of  genuine  Christianity. 

Rev.  Robert  J.  Breckenridge,  of  Baltimore,  one  of  the  great- 
est men  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  a  zealous  colonizationist, 
utters  the  following  important  declaration  : 

"  Its  [slavery's]  political  aspect,  we  grant,  is  bad  enough,  and 
fairly  belies  our  high  sounding  professions  of  republicanism,  but 
its  evils,  in  a  moral  point  of  view,  may  truly  be  termed  LEGION. 
The  church  has  cherished  it  in  her  bosom,  and  sustained  it  by  her 
example,  until  it  has  reared  its  head  so  high  in  the  sanctuary  as 


80 

almost  to  BID  DEFIANCE  TO  HER  AUTHORITY.  This  is  evidently 
one  of  the  worst  signs  of  the  times.  But  if  we  must  wait  for  the 
civil  authorities  to  take  the  lead  in  opposing  this  sin,  what  is  it 
but  an  acknowledgment  that  politics  are  purer  than  religion  ? 

"  We  are  truly  in  a  woful  plight,  if  the  church  must  abandon 
her  contest  with  sin,  and  lean  for  support  upon  the  arm  of  the 
world.  Perhaps  nothing  tends  so  much  to  perpetuate  thss  mon- 
strous system,  as  the  acknowledged  fact  that  men  truly  pious  sup- 
port it  by  their  example.  This  hallows  it  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world.  Would  the  church  only  see  to  the  removing  of  such 
props,  the  unsightly  fabric  must  soon  totter  and  fall." 

The  testimony  given  below  is  by  the  late  Dr.  Nelson,  for  many 
years  a  slaveholder,  but  afterwards  President  of  the  Literary  and 
Theological  Institution  in  Illinois  : 

"I  have  resided  in  North  Carolina  more  than  forty  years,  and 
been  intimately  acquainted  with  the  system,  and  I  can  scarcely 
even  think  of  its  operations  without  shedding  tears.  It  causes  me 
excessive  grief  to  think  of  my  own  poor  slaves,  for  whom  I  have 
for  years  been  trying  to  find  a  free  home.  It  strikes  me  with  equal 
astonishment  and  horror  to  hear  Northern  people  make  light  of 
slavery.  Had  they  seen  and  known  as  much  of  it  as  I,  they  could 
not  thus  treat  it,  unless  callous  to  the  deepest  woes  and  degrada- 
tion of  humanity,  and  dead  both  to  the  religion  and  philanthropy 
of  the  gospel.  But  many  of  them  are  doing  just  what  the  hard- 
est-hearted tyrants  of  the  South  most  desire.  Those  tyrants 
would  not,  on  any  account,  have  them  advocate,  or  even  apologize 
for,  slavery  in  an  unqualified  manner.  This  would  be  bad  policy 
with  the  North.  I  wonder  that  Gerritt  Smith  should  understand 
slavery  so  much  better  than  most  of  the  Northern  people.  How 
true  was  his  remark  on  a  certain  occasion,  viz.,  that  the  South 
are  laughing  in  their  sleeves  to  think  what  dupes  they  make  of 
most  of  the  people  at  the  North  in  regard  to  the  real  character  of 
slavery.  Well  did  Mr.  Smith  remark,  that  the  system,  carried 
out  on  its  fundamental  principle,  would  as  soon  enslave  any  la- 
boring white  man  as  the  African.  ,But,  if  itioere  not  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  North,  the  fabric  of  blood  ivould  fall  at  once.  And  of 
all  the  efforts  of  public  bodies  at  the  North  to  sustain  slavery, 
the  Connecticut  General  Association  has  made  the  best  one  I 
have  never  seen  anything  so  well  constructed  in  that  line  as  their 
resolutions  of  June,  1836.  The  South  certainly  could  not  have 
asked  anything  more  effectual.  But  of  all  Northern  periodicals, 
the  'New  York  Observer'  must  have  the  preference  as  an  effi- 
cient support  of  slavery.  I  am  not  sure  but  it  does  more  than  all 
things  combined  to  keep  the  dreadful  system  alive.  It  is  just  the 
succor  demanded  by  the  South.  Its  abuse  of  the  abolitionists  is 


81 

music  in  Southern  ears,  which  operates  as  a  charm.  But  nothing 
is  equal  to  its  harping  upon  the  'religious  privileges  and  instruc- 
tion '  of  the  slaves  of  the  South.  And  nothing  could  be  so  false 
and  injurious  (to  the  cause  of  freedom  and  religion)  as  the  im- 
pression it  gives  on  that  subject.  I  say  what  I  know  when  I 
speak  in  relation  to  this  matter.  I  have  been  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  the  religious  opportunities  of  slaves — in  the"  con- 
stant habit  of  hearing  the  sermons  which  are  preached  to  them. 
And  I  solemnly  affirm,  that  during  the  forty  years  of  my  resi- 
dence and  observation  in  this  line,  I  never  heard  a  single  one  of 
these  sermons,  but  what  was  taken  up  with  the  obligations  and 
duties  of  slaves  to  their  masters.  Indeed,  I  never  heard  a  sermon 
to  slaves  but  what  made  obedience  to  masters,  by  the  slaves,  the 
fundamental  and  supreme  law  of  religion.  Any  candid  and  intel- 
ligent man  can  decide  whether  such  preaching  is  not,  as  to  relig- 
ious purposes,  worse  than  none  at  all. 

"Again  :  It  is  wonderful  how  the  credulity  of  the  North  is  sub- 
jected to  imposition  in  regard  to  the  kind  treatment  of  slaves. 
For  myself  I  can  clear  up  the  apparent  contradictions  found  in 
writers  who  have  resided  at,  or  visited,  the  South.  The  '  major- 
ity of  slaveholders,'  say  some,  'treat  their  slaves  with  kindness.' 
Now  this  may  be  true  in  certain  states  and  districts  ;  setting  aside 
all  questions  of  treatment  except  such  as  refer  to  the  body.  And 
yet,  while  the  '  majority  of  slaveholders  '  in  a  certain  section  may 
be  kind,  the  majority  of  slaves  in  that  section  will  be  treated  with 
cruelty.  This  is  the  truth  in  many  such  cases,  that,  while  there 
may  be  thirty  men  who  may  have  but  one  slave  apiece,  and  that 
a  house  servant,  a  single  man  in  their  neighborhood  may  have  a 
hundred  slaves,  all  field  hands,  half  fed,  worked  excessively,  and 
whipped  most  cruelly.  This  is  what  I  have  often  seen.  To  give 
a  case  to  show  the  awful  influence  of  slavery  upon  the  master,  I 
will  mention  a  Presbyterian  elder,  who  was  esteemed  one  of  the 
best  men  in  the  region — a  very  kind  master.  I  was  called  to  his 
death-bed  to  write  his  will.  He  had  what  was  considered  a  favor- 
ite house-servant,  a  female.  After  all  other  things  were  disposed 
of,  the  elder  paused,  as  if  in  doubt  what  to  do  with  '  Su.'  I  en- 
tertained pleasing  expectations  of  hearing  the  word  'liberty  '  fall 
from  his  lips;  but  who  can  tell  my  surprise  when  I  heard  the 
master  exclaim,  'What  shall  be  done  with  Su  ?  I  am  afraid  she 
will  never  be  under  a  master  severe  enough  for  her.'  Shall  I  say 
that  both  the  dying  elder  and  his  Su  were  members  of  the  same 
church  !  the  latter  statedly  receiving  the  emblems  of  a  Saviour's 
dying  love  from  the  former  !" 

In  the  Spring  of  1847  the  New  York  Evangelist  had  the  fol- 
lowing most  instructive  as  well  as  frank  acknowledgment : 
4* 


82 

"  To  the  shame  of  the  Church  it  must  be  spoken,  the  foremost 
men  in  some  of  our  philanthropic  movements,  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  the  age,  in  the  practical  applications  of  Chris- 
tianity, in  the  reformation  of  abuses,  in  the  vindication  of  the 
rights  of  man,  are  «ien  who  make  no  profession,  and  whom  we 
have  no  reason  to  believe  to  be  experimentally  acquainted  with 
Christianity.  The  Church  has  pusilanimously  Left  not  only  the 
working  oar,  but  the  very  reins  of  certain  necessary  reforms  of 
the  day,  in  the  hands  of  men,  who,  if  not  before  inimical  to  Chris- 
tianity, will  be  made  so  by  Christianity's  neglect  of  what  it  is  its 
proper  mission  to  Look  after.  They  are  doing  practically  with  all 
their  might,  for  humanity's  sake,  what  the  Church  ought  to  be  do- 
ing as  heartily  through  its  ministry  and  representative  men  for 
Christ's  sake. 

"And  if  they  succeed,  as  succeed  they  will,  in  abolishing*Slav- 
ery,  in  banishing  intemperance,  in  killing  war,  in  restraining 
licentiousness,  in  reforming  social  abuses,  then  the  recoil  upon 
Christianity,  the  antagonistic  reaction  from  these  Christianized 
sensibilities  upon  the  cause  of  religion  itself,  will  be  disastrous  in 
the  extreme.  Wo  be  to  religion  when  irreligious  men,  by  force 
of  nature,  or  the  tendency  of  the  age,  get  ahead  of  the  Church  in 
morals  and  in  the  practical  work  of  Christianity.  In  some  in- 
stances they  are  already  a  long  ways  ahead.  And  we  might  spec- 
ify individuals  and  journals  in  this  country  that  are  far  before 
the  recognized  organs  of  the  Church  in  the  advocacy  of  truth, 
and  righteousness,  and  liberty.  It  would  be  difficult  to  say 
whether  there  is  the  more  disgrace  or  danger  in  a  fact  like  this. 

"  We  learn  from  Scripture,  and  it  is  a  little  remarkable  that  it 
is  the  only  exact  definition  of  religion  found  in  the  sacred  vol- 
ume, that  pure  religion  and  undetiled  before  God,  even  the  Father, 
is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and 
to  keep  one's  self  unspotted  from  the  world.  Look  not  every 
man  on  his  own  things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of 
others.  Remember  them  that  are  in  bonds  as  bound  with  them  ; 
whatsoever  ye  would  that  others  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so 
to  them." 

The  following  are  the  declarations  of  an  English  Divine,  but 
one  whose  praise  is  in  all  the  American  Churches,  Rev.  John 
Angell  James : 

"  Let  the  Church  be  what  she  ought  to  be,  what  she  might  be, 
and  what  she  one  day  will  be,  and  she  would  command- the  atten- 
tion, secure  the  reverence,  and  obtain  the  submission  of  the  world 
on  all  points  of  truth  and  morals.  Slavery  and  wars  at  her  bid- 
ding would  come  out  of  the  bodies  they  have  possessed,  troubled, 
and  tormented,  just  as  the  demons  did,  which,  at  the  voice  of 


83 

Christ,  left  the  men  who  dwelt  among  the  tombs,  and,  entering 
into  the  swine,  left  their  former  victims  in  liberty  and  peace. 
Men  do  not  see  the  sin  of  slavery  and  war,  however  clearly  they 
perceive  and  willingly  acknowledge  their  evits.  And  w'hy  do 
they  not  see  it?  Because  their  spiritual  vision  is  weakened  by 
the  feebleness  of  their  piety.  The  sense  of  the  spiritual  eye  is  in 
the  heart ;  and  if  that  be  dull  and  obtuse,  moral  truth  is  not,  and 
cannot  be,  clearly  discerned. 

"And  who  ought  to  be  foremost  in  the  Church  but  its  pastors? 
If  the  Church  is  the  light  of  the  world,  they  are  the  light  of  the 
Church.  Instead  of  sinking  to  the  level  of  the  people,  they 
should  draw  up  the  people  to  their  own  ;  instead  of  a  timid, 
shrinking,  time-serving  spirit,  and  acting  upon  the  law  of  expe- 
diency, let  them,  in  the  spirit  of  martyrdom — and  what  else,  or 
less,  is  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  ? — proclaim  from  the  pulpit,  and,  if 
need  be,  from  the  prison  and  the  stake,  the  sin  of  whatever  oppos- 
eth  itself  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  When  the  Church  is  what  it 
ought  to  be,  the  world  will  be  converted ;  and  the  Church  will 
be  what  it  should  be  when  its  ministers  are.  A  better  Church 
will  make  a  better  world,  and  a  better  ministry  will  make  a  bet- 
ter Church.  Let  this  be  sounded  forth  through  all  lands." 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Ver- 
mont Domestic  Missionary  Society,  for  1841,  signed  by  Rev. 
Samuel  Delano,  Corresponding  Secretary,  "in  behalf  of  the 
Directors,1' gives  the  sentiment  of  that  numerous  and  powerful 
body,  embracing  the  strength  of  the  whole  Congregational  and 
Presbyterian  Church  of  that  State  : 

"  The  ministers  are  the  heads  of  the  churches,  the  leaders  in  the 
sacramental  host  of  God's  elect.  No  MEASURE  CAN  BE  CARRIED 
WITHOUT  THEM,  much  less  in  opposition  to  them.  And  scarcely 
any  proper  measure  can  fail  to  succeed  when  the  ministry  put 
forth  their  power.  In  view  yf  this  fact,  it  is  asked,  with  the 
utmost  earnestness,  ought  they  not,  and,  in  view  of  their  obliga- 
tions and  of  the  glorious  results  sought,  will  they  not,  come  up  to 
this  work,  and  lead  on  the  churches  ?  The  churches  can  be  reached 
in  no  other  way.  No  man  can  approach  a  church  when  the  pastor 
interposes.  HE  CANNOT,  AND  HE  MAY  NOT  IF  HE  CAN.  To  give 
Vermont  to  Christ — this  is  the  peculiar  work  of  the  church  of 
Vermont.  It  is  the  field  given  to  these  ministers  and  churches  to 
cultivate  and  KEEP." 

Such  extracts  are  only  specimens  of  the  numerous  avowals  ot 
the  Church  that  "no  enterprise  can  fail  to  succeed"  when  she  puts 
forth  her  power.  The  Church  then  holds  the  key  to  the  prison 
where  humanity  wails  and  weeps  entombed  from  age  to  age. 


84 

Unnumbered  millions  have  died  in  her  Bastile,  on  whose  eye 
never  dawned  the  rays  of  moral  or  mental  instruction.  Millions 
yet  linger  there,  whose  cry  falls  all  unheeded  on  her  leaden  ear. 

The  monstrous  assumptions  of  the  Clergy,  whereby  the  Church 
and  people  are  held  in  their  present  guilty  position,  cannot  re- 
ceive too  much  consideration.  On  them,  after  all,  rests  the  tre- 
mendous responsibility  of  upholding  and  perpetuating  the  slave 
system. 

The  following  Resolution,  adopted  by  the  General  Associa- 
tions of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  is  now  the  law  of  the 
whole  Congregational  and  Presbyterian  Church  of  the  nation. 
It  was  passed,  as  will  be  seen,  with  direct  reference  to  the  labors 
of  anti-slavery  and  other  agents  for  the  promotion  of  the  causes 
of  Reform : 

"  Jtesolved,  That  the  operations  of  itinerant  agents  and  lecturers, 
attempting  to  enlighten  the  churches  in  respect  to  particular 
points  of  Christian  doctrine  and  Christian  morals,  and  to  control 
the  religious  sentiment  of  the  community  on  topics  which  fall 
most  appropriately  within  the  spheres  of  pastoral  instruction  and 
pastoral  discretion  as  to  time  and  manner,  without  the  advice  and 
consent  of  the  pastors  and  regular  ecclesiastical  bodies,  are  an  un- 
authorized interference  vviih  the  KIOHTS,  duties,  and  discretion  of 
the  stated  ministry, — dangerous  to  the  influence  of  the  pastoral 
office,  and  fatal  to  the  peace  and  good  order  of  the  churches." 

Still  later  the  General  Association  of  Massachusetts  issued  the 
following  in  their  letter  of  statutes  and  instructions  to  the 
Churches : 

"  We  would  call  your  attention  to  the  importance  of  maintain- 
ing that  respect  and  deference  to  the  pastoral  office  which  is  en- 
joined in  scripture,  and  which  is  essential  to  the  best  influence  of 
the  ministry  on  you  and  your  children. 

"  One  way  in  which  this  respect  has  been  in  some  cases  vio- 
lated is  in  encouraging  lecturers  or  preachers  on  certain  topics  of 
reform  to  present  their  subjects  within  the  parochial  limits  of 
settled  pastors  without  their  consent  (!!!!) 

"  Your  minister  is  ordained  of  God  to  be  your  teacher,  and  is 
commanded  to  feed  that  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
made  him  overseer.  If  there  are  certain  topics  upon  which  he 
does  not  preach  with  the  frequency  or  in  the  manner  that  would 
please  you,  it  is  a  violation  of  sacred  and  important  rights  to  en- 
courage a  stranger  to  present  them.  Deference  and  subordina- 
tion are  essential  to  the  happiness  of  society,  and  peculiarly  so  in 
the  relation  of  a  people  to  their  pastor.  Let  them  despise  or 
slight  him,  and  he  ceases  to  do  them  good,  and  they  cease  to 


85 

respect  those  things  of  which  he  is  at  once  the  minister  and  the 
symbol.  There  is  great  solemnity  in  these  words, — '  Obey  them 
that  have  the  rule  over  you,  and  submit  yourselves.'  " 

The  meaning  of  these  enactments  is  thus  given  by  two  distin- 
guished ministers  in  New  England,  Rev.  Messrs.  Fitch  and 
Towne,  of  Boston,  in  the  New  England  Spectator: 

"When  a  people  have  chosen  a  pastor,  and  he  has  been  regu- 
larly inducted  into  office,  they  have  so  far  surrendered  up  to  him 
the  right  to  discharge  the  appropriate  duties  of  the  office  in  the 
parish  over  which  he  is  settled,  that  they  themselves  cannot  send 
another  to  discharge  these  duties,  all  or  any  part  of  them,  against 
his  wishes,  without  an  evident  INVASION  OF  HIS  TERRITORY. 
Whoever  comes  before  a  parish  under  these  circumstances  is  AN 
INTRUDER.  And  equally  so  is  he  who,  after  being  admitted  by 
the  pastor,  sets  up  his  judgment  in  matters  that  fall  properly 
under  the  pastor's  control.  These  are  both  acts  of  trespass,  and 
the  perpetrators  of  them  are,  or  ought  to  be,  liable  to  ecclesiastical 
censure.  The  unfaithfulness  or  incapacity  of  the  pastor  is  no 
apology  for  the  offence." 

Such  are  the  monstrous  decrees  of  our  spiritual  star-chambers. 
The  constitution  of  the  United  States,  bloody  and  barbarous  as 
that  Draco  outrage  on  liberty  and  justice  is,  expressly  forbids 
Congress  to  pass  any  law  "  prohibiting  the  right  of  the  people 
peaceably  to  assemble  together."  But  the  Ecclesiastical  parlia- 
ments of  the  nation,  whose  penalties  are  "  everlasting  fire,"  and 
"  the  damnation  of  hell,"  deliberately  decree  that  if  a  Church 
member  dare  assemble  the  people,  and  bring  before  them  an 
advocate  of  the  claims  of  humanity,  "  without  the  consent  of  the 
pastor,"  he  shall  be  visited  with  the  terrors  of  discipline,  and  if 
he  persist,  of  excommunication. 

' '  The  unfaithfulness  or  incapacity  of  the  pastor  is  no  apology 
for  the  offence,"  say  these  divine  legislators.  So  then,  had  some 
father,  alarmed  for  the  security  of  his  daughters,  just  blooming 
into  womanhood,  while  an  ordained  and  Doctorated  adulterer 
had  been  for  twenty  years  keeping  beaten  track  from  his  pulpit 
to  "the  house  of  the  strange  woman," — had  some  such  father, 
regardless  of  the  clerical  mandate,  introduced  a  lecturer  on  moral 
reform  into  the  parish,  his  doom  must  have  been  expulsion  from 
the  Church,  and  if  the  assumption  of  the  Church  be  true,  from 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  "unfaithfulness"  of  the  foul  de- 
ceiver to  rebuke  the  sin  of  which  he  himself  is  most  guilty,  "  is 
no  apology  for  the  offence." 

The  cool   and  deliberate  manner  of  consigning  to  perdition 


86 

those  who  disobey  the  mandates  of  the  Church,  will  be  seen  in 
the  following  letter.  The  member  thus  expelled  was  of  most 
•unblemished  purity  of  character. 

Miss  W.  had  been  voted  to  the  doom  of  apostates. 

"Miss  W.  :  It  is  my  painful  duty  as  pastor  to  send  you  the 
above  vote.  Now,  if  you  are,  in  the  sight  of  Christ,  an  excom- 
municated person,  for  a  breach  of  covenant,  no  sympathy  or  pro- 
tection, which  any  professed  Church  of  Christ  can  afford  you,  will 
lessen  your  guilt,  or  restore  you  to  membership  in  the  Saviour's 
body.  If  we  have  done  according  to  the  mind  of  Christ,  in  this 
matter,  '  whatsoever  is  loosed  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  Heaven.' 
*  *  *  Until  you  are  truly  penitent,  you  are,  by  a  vote  of  a  Church 
of  Christ,  declared  to  be  cut  off  from  a  visible  union  with  Him, 
and  cast  out  among  his  enemies,  and  to  the  power  of  the  god  of 
this  world,  that  your  spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord 
Jesus. 

"  Let  me  affectionately  and  solemnly  exhort  you  to  consider 
your  ways,  and  in  time  to  repent,  and  escape  the  doom  of  apos- 
tates from  Christ. 

"I  remain  your  friend, 

"  N.  ADAMS, 
"  Pastor  of  Essex  St.  Church. 

"Boston,  June  1,  1840." 

But  let  us  hasten  on.  Appalling,  indeed,  is  the  picture  that 
truth  and  justice  compel  to  be  drawn. 

The  following  extract  of  a  "  Circular  Letter  to  the  churches 
composing  the  Portsmouth  Baptist  Association,"  issued  in  1842, 
shows  the  ministers  of  that  denomination  to  be  not  less  auda- 
cious in  their  usurpations.  The  letter  is  deploring  that  the 
former  deference  to  the  clergy  is  gone,  and  is  seeking  the  cause 
and  the  remedy. 

"We  are  also  aware  that  the  ministry  itself  is  chargeable,  to 
no  little  degree,  with  bringing  about  such  a  state  of  things  as  we 
herein  deplore.  Maybe  they  have  thought,  by  placing  themselves 
more  on  a  seeming  level  with  their  fellow  citizens,  by  mingling 
in  their  debating  clubs,  and  joining  with  them  in  their  efforts  to 
bring  about  certain  moral  improvements,  that  in  this  way  they 
would  get  a  nearer  access  to  them  with  the  gospel ;  but  we  think 
that  by  pursuing  such  a  policy  they  have  unavoidably  lost  that 
reverence  which  the  people  must  have  for  their  ministers  over  that 
which  they  cherish  for  other  men,  and  lost  also  the  end  which 
they  thought  to  gain  by  taking  such  steps.  Nor  is  this  all.  Minis- 
ters have  not  been  sufficiently  respectful  and  decent  in  their  inter- 
course towards  each  other,  and  the  world  and  the  church  have 


87 

seen  it,  and  taken  undue  liberties  from  it.  Hence,  the  ministry 
has  plunged  a  dagger  at  its  own  vitals  :  and  now,  as  long  as  they 
continue  to  disrespect  and  accuse  each  other,  they  must  not  be 
surprised  if  they  are  disesteemed  by  others.  Let  them  begin  the 
work  of  reformation  among  themselves,  and  let  them  so  demean 
themselves  that  the  robes  of  their  office  shall  be  held  in  future  by 
all  as  sacred  and  inviolable." 

Here  is  one  of  the  largest  clerical  bodies  in  New  Hampshire, 
or  New  England,  confessing  that  its  "  seeming1"1  (mark  the  word), 
seeming  to  be  "on  a  level  with  their  fellow  citizens,"  and  "seem- 
ing" to  "  mingle  in  their  efforts  to  bring  about  certain  moral 
improvements,"  are  only  the  most  infamous  hypocrisy  ;  that  it  is 
done  to  deceive  them  into  the  embrace  of  a  sectarian  religion, 
which  is  here  proved  as  corrupt  and  foul  as  the  breath  of  perdi- 
tion. But  the  revelation  is  too  dreadful  for  comment.  The 
whole  treatment,  by  this  and  kindred  bodies,  of  the  anti-slavery 
enterprise,  bears  witness  to  the  truth  of  this  strange  and  mon- 
strous confession.  And  the  result  they  deplore  is,  that  they  are 
losing  * '  that  reverence  which  the  people  must  have  for  their 
minister  over  that  which  they  cherish  for  other  men." 

A  short  time  since  the  liev.  Dr.  Woods,  of  Andover  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  was  called  to  preach  a  sermon  at  the  ordination  of 
his  son  as  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Spring  Water, 
New  York.  An  extract  or  two  will  follow  : 

"  How  often  do  we  hear  it  said,  and  said  truly,  at  the  present 
day,  that  the  ministry  is  not  duly  respected  !  And  have  we  not 
here  one  of  the  causes  of  this  ?  Ministers  have  not  kept  in  their 
place.  They  have  more  or  less  neglected  their  sacred  trust,  and 
gone  into  other  employments.  This  has  opened  the  door  for 
other  men  to  thrust  themselves  into  their  place  and  assume  their 
office.  Is  not  this  one  of  the  reasons  that  the  sacred  office  has 
lost  so  much  of  its  sacredness  ?  Open  your  eyes,  brethren,  and  see 
how  the  enclosures  of  the  ministerial  office  are  broken  down,  and 
(I  am  sorry  to  say  it)  broken  down  chiefly  by  ministers  them- 
selves: so  broken  down  that  no  one  can  find  the  line  of  separa- 
tion between  the  ministry  and  secular  employments  !  And  who  of 
you,  brethren,  are  prepared  to  meet  the  natural  consequences  of 
this  ?  Who  of  you  are  willing  that  every  one  called  an  evangelist, 
and  every  one  called  a  lecturer, — that  every  man  and  woman, 
•who  are  puffed  up  with  pride  and  self-sufficiency,  should  thrust 
themselves  into  your  pulpit,  and  assume  the  work,  or  any  part  of 
the  work,  of  moral  and  religious  instruction  which  belongs  to 
you  ?  •*•***•**••**•** 

"  Those  who  go  into  the  ministry  ought  scrupulously  to  confine 
themselves  within  the  just  bounds  of  their  office,  and  to  lay  out 


88 

their  time  and  strength  upon  their  appropriate  duties.  If  we 
would  do  the  work  of  the  ministry  in  the  best  manner  we  are 
capable  of,  we  must  abstain  from  all  other  employments  that 
would  interfere  with  it.  *  *  *  True,  it  puts  a  yoke  upon  us, 
but  the  yoke  is  easy  ;  a  burden,  but  the  burden  is  light.  If  then 
we  might  leave  our  sacred  work  for  some  other,  how  could  we 
make  such  a  sacrifice?  Who  would  willingly  descend  from  a 
higher  to  a  lower  employment  ?  Who  would  willingly  practise 
such  self-denial  as  to  give  up,  even  for  a  time,  the  blessed,  honor- 
able business  of  a  gospel  minister,  for  any  other  business  which 
can  be  named,  or  any  place  which  the  world  can  offer  ?  Other 
works,  I  admit,  are  honorable.  But  how  much  more  honorable 
is  this  !  The  throne  of  a  king  is  a  high  place,  but  how  much  higher 
is  &  pulpit." 

Thus  did  the  venerable  Doctor  complain  of  the  loss  of  rever- 
ence towards  the  ministry.  And  thus  did  he  invest  his  son  with 
royal  honors  and  a  "  throne."  How  like  Him  who  came  in  "  the 
form  of  a  servant,"  meek  and  lowly,  and  with  "not  where  to  lay 
his  head ;"  or  those  faithful  disciples  of  his,  who,  instead  of 
titles,  or  "  thrones,"  or  "  reverence"  even,  were  made  the  "  off- 
scouring  of  all  things." 

While  the  pulpit  is  thus  covetous  of  honor  and  reverence,  it  is 
not  strange  that  it  grows  dainty  as  to  the  birth  and  circumstan- 
ces of  tho.se  who  shall  possess  its  royal  prerogatives. 

When,  a  year  or  two  since,  the  General  Assembly  was  sitting 
at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  the  subject  of  educating  young  men  for 
the  ministry  came  up  for  consideration.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Brown, 
President  of  Washington  College  in  Pennsylvania,  submitted 
these  remarks  : 

"  There  is,  to  my  mind,  a  wrong  bias  on  the  subject  of  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry.  We  have  given  an  undue  prominence  to 
educating  POOR  pious  youth  to  the  ministry.  What  is  the  record 
of  the  Old  Testament  ?  God  in  his  wisdom  instructed  his  servant 
Moses  on  this  subject,  and  the  priesthood  was  assigned  to  the 

HONORABLE  AND  NOBLE  TRIBE  OF  LiEVI.     Now,  sir,  let  US  look  On 

the  other  side.  Jeroboam  selected  the  priesthood  from  the  low- 
est, fhe  meanest,  of  the  people.  I  do  think  that  too  much  of  the 
care  of  the  Board  is  bestowed  on  those  who  are  of  families  NOT 

OF  THE  CLASS  TO  ELEVATE  THE  STANDING  OF  OUR  CHURCH." 

At  the  seventeenth  annual  meeting  of  the  American  Home 
Missionary  Society,  the  venerable  Dr.  Beecher  offered  a  Resolu- 
tion declaring  "  the  STATED  evangelical  ministry  is  eminently  the 
power  of  God  for  the  conversion  of  the  West."  He  supported 


89 

his  resolution  in  a  speech  of  some  length,  an  extract  of  which 
follows : 

"  A  stated  ministry  unites  society  also  by  strong  bonds.  A 
good  pastor  is  a  sort  of  central  power  in  society.  He  holds  the 
affections  of  those  with  whom  he  dwells,  and  becomes  a  peace- 
maker among  them. 

"  All  these  influences  are  peculiar  to  the  permanency  of  the 
stated  ministry.  They  are  lost  by  the  transient  ministry. 
Instances *of  the  effects  thus  produced  might  easily  be  mentioned. 
I  could  tell  of  a  minister  who,  having  preached  there  for  fifty 
years,  became  the  patriarch  of  the  village.  And  once,  when  a 
lecturer  came  there  whom  he  thought  unsafe,  he  put  on  his  gown 
and  wig  and  cocked  hat  and  walked  up  one  side  of  the  street,  and 
told  his  people  they  had  better  not  go,  and  then  walked  home  on  the 
other.  Every  soul  stayed  at  home!  All  that  is  healthful  in  society 
finds  support  in  the  stated  ministry." 

And  this  is  an  example  to  be  followed.  Let  the  people  con- 
template their  condition  and  character. 

The  two  following  extracts  will  suffice.  The  first  is  from  a 
letter  of  a  clergyman  in  Maryland,  giving  an  account  of  a  revival 
that  occurred  some  three  years  ago.  It  was  copied  into  the 
Congregational  Journal  of  20th  of  April,  1843,  the  organ  of  the 
Congregational  and  Presbyterian  church  of  New  Hampshire, 
with  this  endorsement  of  its  sentiments,  and  exhortation  to  other 
churches  and  ministers  to  imitate  the  example  thus  set  them  :" 

"  Let  ministers  cultivating  long  neglected  and  unpromising 
fields  be  encouraged  by  this  example.  God  will  give  the  largest 
blessings  to  those  who  make  the  largest  sacrifices.  Let  the  lay 
members  of  our  churches  be  admonished  of  their  duty  and  respon- 
sibility by  the  diligence  and  success  of  their  distant  brethren  in 
Maryland.  A  great  part  of  the  moral  power  of  our  churches  is 
lost  by  the  neglect  of  the  brethren  '  to  occupy  the  talent'  their 
Lord  has  given  them."  BttlCfoft  Li 

And  then  follows  the  letter  of  the  Maryland  minister,  Rev. 
Mr.  Harkey,  an  extract  of  which  reads  thus  : 

"The  church  must  carry  on  revivals.  Ministers  alone  cannot 
and  ought  not  to  do  it.  The  strength  of  the  church  of  Christ  has 
never  been  fully  developed  in  this  respect  since  the  days  of  the 
apostles.  All  our  meetings  this  winter  have  proved  the  efficacy 
of  lay  help.  I  have  only  preached,  administered  the  ordinances, 
and  superintended  :  the  members  have  done  the  work, — members 
converted  under  my  own  labors.  But,  asks  one,  what  can  laymen 


90 

do  ?  Answer,  everything  but  preach  and  administer  the  ordi- 
nances !  The  whole  church  is  a  practical  missionary  society,  and 
they  'go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  and  compel  them  to 
come  in  !'  Ought  it  not  to  be  so  ?  I,  as  a  pastor,  have  of  course 
noi  been  idle,  for  during  the  months  of  January  and  February  I 
preached  fifty  sermons,  besides  lectures  at  prayer  meetings,  &c., 
but  the  members  carried  on  the  meetings. 

"  But  do  not  your  men  become  stubborn  and  ungovernable 
when  you  send  them  to  work,  and  all  want  to  be  preachers  and 
take  your  place?  asks  another.  I  answer,  No  !  They  would  not 
crook  their  finger  without  asking  me  first.  I  am  their  Pastor, 
their  shepherd,  their  general,  and  they  do  not  move  until  I  give 
orders.  This  is  right ;  and  when  men's  hearts  are  right  with 
God,  they  will  not  only  not  oppose  their  pastor  or  wish  to  take 
his  place,  but  stand  by  him,  uphold  his  hands,  and  pray  for  him." 

It  need  not  be  added  that  the  solemn  exhortation  to  imitate 
such  an  example  is  heeded  in  the  church  to  a  most  melancholy 
extent,  as  this  whole  chapter  of  developments  fully  proves. 

Within  the  last  few  years  the  prevalence  of  the  Methodist  and 
Miller  doctrine,  relative  to  the  public  speaking  and  praying  of 
women,  has  been  such  as  in  a  very  few  instances  to  reach  to  the 
more  dignified  denominations,  and  measures  have  been  taken  to 
check  the  calamity.  Against  this  innovation  was  at  once  arrayed 
the  Hopkinton  Association  of  Congregational  Divines,  a  formi- 
dable body  in  New  Hampshire.  They  unanimously  enacted  a 
statute  in  1843,  of  which  the  following  is  a  perfectly  fair  speci- 
men: 

"  Not  that  women  may  not  bear  a  part  in  the  songs  of  the 
church,  because  this  is  an  established  part  of  public  worship,  and 
is  not  prohibited  to  women  as  public  teaching  and  praying  are  ; 
publicly  to  sing  God's  praise,  under  men  as  leaders,  is,  by  impli- 
cation, enjoined  upon  women,  as  is  the  celebration  of  the  holy 
supper,  and  of  the  Saviour's  resurrection,  by  keeping  the  first  day 
of  the  week  as  holy  time.  Nor  does  the  prohibition  deprive  fe- 
males of  any  of  the  privileges  of  the  Bible  class,  or  religious  con- 
ference, in  which  they  are  indulged  with  perfect  freedom  of 
speech,  in  answering  the  questions  which  their  pastors,  leaders,  or 
catechists  put  to  them. 

"  But,  as  to  leading  men,  either  in  instruction  or  devotion,  and 
as  to  any  interruption  or  disorder  in  religious  meetings,  'Let 
your  women  keep  silence  in  the  churches  ;'  not  merely  let  them 
be  silent,  but  let  them  keep  or  preserve  silence.  Not  that  they 
may  not  preach,  or  pray,  or  exhort  merely,  but  they  may  not 
open  their  lips  to  utter  any  sounds  audibly.  Let  not  your  women 
in  promiscuous  religious  meetings  preach  or  pray  audibly,  or  ex- 


91 

hort  audibly,  or  sigh,  or  groan,  or  say  Amen,  or  utter  the  pre- 
cious words,  «  Bless  the  Lord,'  or  the  enchanting  sounds,  '  Glory ! 
Glory  !'  " 

Ransack  the  records  of  papal  or  pagan  despotism,  and  you 
look  in  vain  for  a  grosser  outrage  on  common  decency,  to  say 
nothing  of  Christian  liberty.  I  dare  not  give  utterance  to  the 
feelings  that  rush  upon  me  towards  those  strangely  infatuated 
men,  who  sustain  these  archangels  of  folly  and  depravity  in  such 
outrages  on  the  wives  and  sisters  of  their  love. 

Such  is  the  account  the  church  renders  of  herself.  No  witness 
has  been  examined  but  such  as  she  must  approve,  nearly  none 
but  such  as  she  has  furnished.  And  they  have  given  their  testi- 
mony in  their  own  way.  No  keen  and  subtle  cross-questioning 
has  embarrassed  them.  No  opposing  counsel  has  been  by  to  dis- 
tort and  pervert  their  words.  Throughout  the  examination  has 
been  as  just,  especially  to  the  church,  as  can  be  the  trials  of  the 
great  day  of  account. 

And  what  is  the  result  ?  In  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, surrounded  by  all  its  light,  blessed  with  the  experience  ot 
the  ages  past,  and  rocked  with  agitation  as  is  the  world  on  the 
great  question  of  human  freedom,  the  Protestant  church  has  yet 
to  learn  that  man  cannot  be  the  property  of  his  fellow  man.  That 
God,  in  the  person  of  his  children,  may  not  be  a  marketable 
commodity,  to  be  sold,  leased,  and  mortgaged,  and  noted  in  the 
price  current  as  other  chattels.  Scarcely  is  there  a  Doctor  of 
Divinity  in  the  land  (perhaps  not  one)  who  will  not  sit  at  the 
sacramental  board  with  the  holders  of  property  in  the  bodies  and 
spirits  of  men. 

Judaism  was  never  thus  atrocious.  It  returned  no  fugitives, 
and  its  jubilees  proclaimed  "  Liberty  through  all  the  Land,  to 
all  the  inhabitants  thereof."  But  our  "  better  dispensation"  re- 
turns the  captive  to  his  master ;  nor  does  a  seventh  or  a  fiftieth 
year  jubilee  ever  ring  joyfully  on  his  ear. 

Mahometanism  is  less  barbarous.  The  slave  code  of  Virginia 
punishes  with  death  for  seventy  offences,  when  the  offender  is  a 
slave,  and  only  for  six  when  the  offender  is  a  free  white.  And 
Virginia  (so  they  tell  us)  is  a  Christian  State. 

Sir  J.  Malcolm,  in  his  interesting  ''  Sketches  of  Persia,"  says  : 

"  Slaves  in  the  Mahometan  countries  are  only  liable,  for  any 
crimes  they  may  commit,  to  half  the  punishment  to  which  the 
freemen  would  be  subject.  The  law  proceeds  on  the  ground  of 
their  not  being  supposed  on  a  par,  as  to  knowledge  or  social  ties, 
with  other  parts  of  the  community." 


92 

Nor  can  any  Mahometan  hold  in  slavery  a  brother  of  the  same 
faith.  Not  the  Grand  Sultan  himself  could  hold  his  most  valuable 
slave  for  an  hour  after  he  had  professed  himself  a  believer  in  the 
Koran. 

Not  so  with  us.  A  statute  in  some  slave  States  expressly  de- 
clares that  "  conversion  to,  and  prof  ession  of  the  Christian  relig- 
ion is  lawful  for  any  slave,  but  shall  never  be  considered  as  affect- 
ing his  or  her  emancipation.'1'1  Instead  of  this,  it  is  generally 
regarded  as  enhancing  the  value  of  the  slave,  and  a  "revival""  on 
a  large  plantation  has  often  added  greatly  to  the  wealth  of  the 
owner. 

And  Mahometanism,  even  in  the  States  of  Northern  Africa,  is 
abolishing  slavery  by  legal  enactment,  and  as  one  of  the  reigning 
princes  beautifully  says,  "  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  to  distin- 
guish mankind  from  the  brute  creation." 

Let  the  following  document  be  well  considered.  And  let  it  be 
remembered,  too,  that  the  writer  is  one  of  the  ''  benighted 
heathen,"  for  whose  conversion  the  American  church  pretends  to 
be  laboring : 

"From  the  servant  of  God,  the  Musheer  Ahmed  Bashaw  Bey, 
prince  of  the  Tunisian  dominions. 

"  To  our  ally,  Sir  Thomas  Reade,  Consul  General  of  the  British 
Government  at  Tunis. 

"  Whereas,  our  aversion  to  the  thraldom  imposed  on  the  human 
kind,  which  debases  it  to  the  condition  of  the  brute  creation,  is 
well  known  to  you,  having  conversed  together  on  this  matter. 

"  Our  attention  has  been  directed  to  the  repression  of  this  traf- 
fic, as  well  as  to  its  total  abolition,  with  a  due  regard,  however,  to 
the  interests  of  our  subjects,  so  as  not  to  cause  them  a  loss  of  prop- 
erty. 

"  We  commenced  first  by  prohibiting  their  embarkation  for 
foreign  countries  as  objects  of  commerce,  as  we  wrote  to  you  on 
the  9th  Rabih  1st,  1257.  Subsequent  to  which  we  sent  orders  to 
places  situated  on  the  road  of  the  caravans  coming  from  Ghada- 
mes  not  to  permit  any  person  to  enter  our  territory  with  any 
slave  as  an  article  of  sale  ;  and  should  any  refuse  to  do  so,  and  not 
return,  the  slave  should  be  liberated  to  his  loss,  conformably  to 
what  we  informed  you  on  the  17th  Rabih,  1258. 

We  afterwards  abolished  the  market  established  for  their  sale 
in  our  capital  (thus  giving  up  the  revenue  which  our  Government 
reaped  from  it),  declared  that  all  slaves  that  should  enter  our 
kingdom,  by  land  or  by  sea,  should  be  free ;  and  further  ordered 
that  every  one  born  a  slave  in  our  dominions  should  be  considered 
as  free  from  the  very  instant  of  his  birth,  and  that  he  could 


93 

neither  be  sold  or  bought,  as  we  informed  you  thereof  on  the  6th 
Elkuada,  1258. 

"  Our  resolutions  were  likewise  strengthened,  and  we  felt  a  real 
satisfaction  at  the  accord  which  existed  between  our  sentiments 
and  those  expressed  by  the  Anti-Slavery  Society,  which  ennobles 
itself  by  upholding  the  dignity  of  mankind  in  the  letter  we  re- 
ceived on  its  part,  and  which  we  answered  on  the  Eabih  1st,  1258. 

"This  affair  never  ceased  to  be  the  object  of  our  attention,  as 
well  as  the  central  point  of  our  consideration  ;  and  we  have 
thought  proper  to  publish  that  we  have  abolished  Slavery  in  all 
our  dominions,  for  we  consider  all  slaves  existing  in  our  territory 
as  being  free,  and  do  not  recognize  the  legality  of  their  being 
kept  as  property. 

"  We  have  sent  some  notaries  to  the  sanctuary  of  Sidy  Mahrez 
in  town,  and  to  the  sanctuary  of  Ezzawin  Elboucaria,  in  the  sub- 
urb of  Bab  Essuika,  as  well  as  in  that  of  Sidy  Manzour,  in  the' 
suburb  of  Bab  Elzezirah,  with  the  object  of  wViting  in  favor  of 
such  slaves  as  should  present  themselves  to  them  a  document  con- 
stituting them  free  on  our  part,  and  which  document  shall  be 
represented  to  us  for  the  apposition  of  our  seal,  and  no  right  of 
property  on  their  persons  shall  be  alleged  by  their  masters. 

"  We  have  likewise  sent  the  necessary  orders  to  all  the  Gov- 
ernors in  our  Tunisian  kingdom,  and  having  determined  on  writ- 
•ing  a  circular  to  all  the  consuls  of  friendly  Governments  in  our 
capital,  you  shall  equally  with  them  receive  a  copy  of  such  circu- 
lar. We  hasten  to  forward  to  you  this  letter,  for  you  know  our 
sentiments  and  what  we  spake  together  on  the  subject. 

"We  thank  Providence  for  the  aid  it  has  afforded  us  in  put- 
ting an  end  to  this  business,  which  we  know  is  also  an  object  of 
attention  to  the  great  and  illustrious  British  Government;  and 
we  pray  the  Most  High  that  our  opinions  be  always  in  union  with 
their  own  in  every  point.  May  the  Lord  keep  you  under  his  safe 
guard. 

"25  Moharrem  Elkram,  1262. 

"22d  January,  1846." 

Why  should  not  an  Arabian  Board  of  Commissioners  for  For- 
eign Missions  be  established  to  propagate  a  better  faith  in  the 
churches  of  the  United  States  !  ! 

Catholicism,  too,  has  outstripped  us.  One  country  alone,  on 
all  the  South  American  Continent,  holds  the  withering  curse  of 
slavery  as  a  part  of  its  national  or  religious  order.  Mexico  too 
had  swept  it  away.  In  1829  she  abolished  it  by  decree.  This 
Protestant  nation  has  been  at  war  with  her  ever  since.  The 
President  was  right  in  his  War  Message  (though  he  did  not  mean 


94 

it),  when  he  said  "  war  existed  by  the  act  of  Mexico."  It  was 
even  so.  But  her  "  act"  was  the  abolition  of  slavery. 

The  new  Pope,  Pius  IX,  is  showing  himself  the  inflexible  foe 
of  all  oppression. 

His  predecessor  even  was  high  as  heaven  above  American 
Protestantism  in  the  scale  of'humanity. 

Long  ago  he  interdicted  slavery  as  "  utterly  unworthy  the 
Christian  name." 

The  following  is  but  a  brief  extract : 

Bull  of  Pope  Gregory  XVI  for  the  Abolition  of  the  Negro  Slave 
Trade. 

"  On  the  3d  of  December,  1839,  the  ninth  year  of  the  pontifi- 
cate. *  *  Wherefore,  we  desiring  to  avert  this  disgrace  from 
the  whole  confines  of  Christianity,  having  summoned  several  of 
our  reverend  brothers,  their  eminences  the  cardinals,  to  our 
counsel,  and  having  maturely  deliberated  on  the  whole  matter, 
pursuing  the  footsteps  of  our  predecessors,  admonish  by  our 
apostolic  authority,  and  urgently  invoke  in  the  name  of  God  all 
Christians,  of  whatever  condition,  that  none  henceforth  dare  to 
subject  to  slavery,  unjustly  persecute,  or  despoil  of  their  goods, 
Indians,  Negroes,  or  other  classes  of  men,  or  to  be  accessories  to 
others,  or  furnish  them  aid  or  assistance  in  so  doing  ;  and  on  no 
account  henceforth  to  exercise  that  inhuman  traffic,  by  which 
negroes  are  reduced  to  slavery  as  if  they  were  not  men  but  autom- 
ata or  chattels,  and  are  sold  in  defiance  of  all  the  laws  of  justice 
and  humanity,  and  devoted  to  severe  and  intolerable  labors.  We 
further  reprobate  by  our  apostolic  authority  all  the  above  de- 
scribed offences  as  utterly  unworthy  the  Christian  name;  and  by 
the  same  authority  we  rigidly  prohibit  and  interdict  all  and  every 
individual,  whether  ecclesiastical  or  laical,  from  presuming  to 
defend  that  commerce  in  negro  slaves  under  any  pretence  or  bor- 
rowed color,  or  to  teach  or  publish  in  any  manner,  publicly  or 
privately,  things  contrar}*-  to  the  admonitions  which  we  have 
given  in  these  letters." 

Thus  sadly  does  our  nation's  religion  contrast  with  Judaism, 
Mahometanism,  and  Catholicism.  In  how  different  a  light  is 
slavery  regarded  by  the  very  highest  dignities  in  the  Protestant 
churches  of  this  infatuated  nation  ! 

Dr.  Winans,  of  Mississippi,  publicly  declares:  "Christian 
ministers  ought  to  hold  slaves,  and  to  be  diffused  throughout  the 
South.  Presbyterians,  Baptists,  Methodists  should  be  slave- 
holders. There  should  be  members  and  deacons,  elders,  and 


95 

bishops,  too,  who  are  slave-holders.     The  interests  of  the  slaves 
require  it." 

And  Dr.  Taylor,  of  Yale  College,  at  the  head  of  the  Theolog- 
ical department,  instructs  his  pupils,  candidates  for  the  ministry, 
that  "if  Jesus  Christ  were  now  on  earth,  he  would,  under  cer- 
tain circumstances,  become  a  slave-holder." 

Professor  Stuart,  of  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  writes  to 
President  Fisk,  of  Middletown  Theological  Seminary,  that  "  sla- 
very may  exist  without  violating  the  Christian  faith  or  the 
church.1"  And  President  Fisk  writes  back  again,  "  this  doctrine 
will  stand,  because  it  is  Bible  doctrine." 

The  justly  Rev.  J.  C.  Postell,  of  South  Carolina,  exhorted  the 
citizens  of  Orangeburg  and  vicinity,  at  an  immense  gathering, 
on  this  wise : 

li  Shun  abolitionism  as  you  would  the  devil.  Do  your  duty  as 
citizens  and  Christians,  and  in  heaven  you  will  be  rewarded  and 
delivered  from  abolitionism." 

And  the  American  church,  from  Maine  to  Mexico,  and  from 
Cape  Sable  to  Vancouver's,  rings  out  her  loud  and  long  Amen 
to  doctrines  so  horrible,  so  shocking  to  humanity. 

The  church  has  told  us  what  she  was,  what  she  is,  and  what,  in 
her  own  judgment,  she  might  be.  Half  a  century  ago  she  knew 
and  affirmed  that  slavery  was  the  sum  of  every  abomination. 
And  if  in  the  dim  twilight  of  that  period  she  saw  thus  clearly  its 
character,  how  false  and  absurd  is  her  present  defence,  that  she 
waits  for  light  and  intelligence. 

But  the  church,  moreover,  admits  that  she  holds  in  her  hands 
the  power  to  set  every  captive  free.  She  holds  the  key  to  his 
prison.  She  can  say  to  the  swelling  tide  of  woes,  that  has  for 
generations  been  beating  upon  the  slave,  thus  far  shalt  thou  go 
and  no  farther.  On  her  own  admission  she  has  but  to  speak,  and 
it  is  done.  One  of  her  brightest  luminaries,  Rev.  Albert  Barnes, 
declares  that  "  if  all  the  ministers  and  members  of  the  churches 
were  to  do  so  simple  a  thing  as  the  society  of  Friends  have  done, 
the  system  would  come  to  an  end." 

If  the  church  believes  her  own  admissions  and  declarations, 
what  language  can  express  the  height  and  depth,  the  length  and 
breadth,  of  her  depravity  ?  All  the  execrations  of  an  outraged 
universe  should,  and  soon  will,  fall  on  such  a  religion. 

And  yet  they  tell  us  this  is  the  religion  that  is  to  give  the 
world  its  millennium.  To  speak  lightly  of  it  (so  must  we  believe) 
is  the  sin  that  "  hath  never  forgiveness."  It  is  the  "  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost. " 


96 

This  is  the  gospel  that  is  to  abolish  slavery,  for  the  church,  in 
the  plentitude  of  her  mad  assurance,  demands  that  its  removal 
be  left  to  her  control  and  guidance.  The  Anti-Slavery  enter- 
prise she  derides  as  superfluous,  or  denounces  as  "an  unlawful 
and  unwarrantable  interference"  with  her  prerogatives.  She 
brands  it  as  Infidelity,  and  warns  the  people  to  beware  of  it. 

But  the  humanity  of  the  nation  is  awaking,  in  spite  of  the  si- 
rocco breath  of  the  church  that  has  so  long  and  so  fatally  poisoned 
everything  within  its  influence.  Statesmen  and  politicians  are 
already  opening  upon  the  slave  system  their  fiercest  batteries. 
The  spirit  of  Freedom  is  abroad  among  the  nations,  and  the 
earth  shakes  beneath  his  mighty  tread.  He  is  saying  to  the 
North  "  Give  up,"  and  to  the  South  "  Keep  not  back."  Glori- 
ously has  England  set  the  example  of  Immediate  Emancipation. 
Other  European  nations  are  soon  to  follow,  until  throughout  the 
Old  World  the  song  of  universal  deliverance  shall  swell  away  to 
heaven,  loud  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  sweet  as  the  ori- 
sons of  the  morning  stars. 

But  in  our  land  shall  slavery  devour  forever?  Long  ago  the 
evil  might  have  been  stayed.  To-day  there  is  a  power  which  has 
but  to  speak,  and  it  is  done. 

Only  the  decree  of  the  church  is  needed,  and  the  work  is 
accomplished.  That  all-conquering  decree  is  withheld.  The 
evil  yet  lives,  and  direful  are  its  bloody  conquests.  Such  a 
church,  what  is  it  but  the  BULWARK— THE  FORLORN  HOPE 
OF  SLAVERY? 


